Inner Demons
by GeronimoPond
Summary: Haunted Sequel. When Edward and Bella's daughter starts to show interesting symptoms, can they finally put their inner demons to rest once and for all? AH. Rated M for theme and lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here it is, the anticipated first chapter of the Haunted sequel! I've even got a lemon in here for you all, because I believe you deserve it after the long wait for this story! I don't know who's POV I'm going to write the majority of the story from, but it's so easy writing in Edward's, so expect a lot of his views in upcoming chapters. I'll stop ranting because I know you're all anxious to see what's going on.**

**EPOV**

I had been enjoying my "day off" with my brothers, playing a quick pick-up game of basketball at the gym. It had been Emmett's idea and Jasper and I jumped at the chance to spend a day together. We all had hectic schedules, with Emmett and Jasper working overtime in order to get extra days off when their babies arrived. Rosalie and Emmett finally got pregnant earlier in the year and were due any day and Alice had little Jackson two weeks earlier. Esme was going crazy as a new grandma and it was hilarious to watch. I was rubbing in my victory when I heard my cell phone ring. I jogged over, still laughing as Emmett pouted with Jasper.

"Hey, what's up, love?" I said when I answered the phone.

"Can you come home? I need to show you something," My heart skipped a beat and a grin broke out on my face. Dirty thoughts filled my mind until I realized that the tone of her voice was nervous, borderline panic.

"What is it? Did something happen? Is it Masie?" I shot up and picked up my gym bag, heading towards the locker room.

"No, it's not Masie per se, but something she drew. It's kind of important." I slowed down, slung my bag over my shoulder. Emmett and Jasper eyed me curiously, but didn't say anything.

"It's not like something dirty, is it? I knew she walked in the other night…" I said quietly, remembering when Bella and I were having sex and the bedroom door creaked open. We had never been so mortified in our lives to find our little daughter in the doorway, asking for a glass of water.

"She drew EJ, Edward. I don't know how she knew who he was, or what he looked like." My stomach clench and my mind went fuzzy. I ran a hand over my face and glanced over at my brothers. Sensing something was wrong, they started walking over.

"Leaving now. I'll be home in twenty minutes." I ended the call and kicked open the door to the locker room. I stripped off my sweaty shirt and jumped into the shower, not really caring that the water was frigid.

"Bro, what's going on?" Emmett asked as he walked into the shower, Jasper following him.

"Masie drew EJ." I said curtly and shut the shower off.

"What?" My brothers asked in astonished unison. I nodded and packed my bag after I put on a new shirt.

"I have to get to Bella. Sorry to cut the afternoon short."

"That's perfectly alright. You should hurry up." Jasper said from the showers, soap dripping into his eyes.

"I'll see you two tonight at Mom's." I ran from the locker room and drove inhumanly fast back home.

* * *

I passed my mother as she walked Masie to her car. I kissed her cheek and knelt down in front of my daughter.

"Hey there, baby." I hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head, inhaling her sweet scent that reminded me of Bella.

"See you two tonight at dinner," She said to Bella and I as she picked Masie up and put her in the car.

"I'll bring dessert," Bella called out, a tremor evident in her voice. I brushed past her and waited until she shut the front door to talk.

"Where is it?" She pulled it from her pocket, unfolded it and handed it to me. I couldn't wrap my brain around it. I was clearly labeled on there, as well as Bella and Masie. But there was a tiny boy with the same color hair that had been used for mine and a tall man that made my blood turn to ice. I didn't know how long I had been looking at it, but I cleared my throat and stared at Bella.

"He looks exactly like me. That's EJ, for sure. Mr. B can't be…" I heard her breathing hitch and eyes filled with tears. My worst fears materialized right in front of me.

"He's back." I watched as Bella's eyes glassed over and gracefully toppled to the floor. I caught her before her head hit the hardwood floor and cradled her in my lap. The picture fluttered down next to us and an insane urge overcame me to destroy it. But I knew better, knowing that Bella was going to need it for evidence and that we eventually had to confront Masie about it.

I carried Bella upstairs, put her down on our bed and took another shower. When I got out, she was in the bathroom getting ready for the family dinner. I kissed her cheek and nuzzled her neck lovingly.

"I thought it was over, Edward. It's been five years." She whispered torturously, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"We didn't know that it would happen again, love." I pulled her against me and continued my ministrations on her neck and shoulders. She turned around in my arms and wrapped her arms around me.

"Make me forget, even it is just for a little while." She murmured and pressed her lips against my chest. They moved upwards and captured my lips in the sweetest way. My hands traveled to her hips and hitched them up against mine. She let me pick her up and set her down on the counter. Her legs wrapped around my waist. I leaned over her, she fell back to her elbows. I ground my hips against hers and earned a throaty groan. The towel I had on slid down to the floor and I tugged on her pants until they were bunched up against me. I broke our kiss to pull her shirt up and off of her and unclasped her bra. She stared up at me, her chocolate brown eyes shining with love and unbridled emotion.

"Love me, Edward." She said breathlessly. I thought for a moment of taking her right then and there on the counter, but knowing what she must have been feeling, I picked her up from the counter and brought her to our bed. I kissed my way down the long column of her neck, nibbled her collarbone and nuzzled the valley between her breasts. I moved back up and kissed her soft lips. Her arms lazily hung around my neck as I positioned myself between her legs. I loved her quiet moan when we joined and buried my face in the crook of her neck as we rocked against each other. She arched against me, crying out softly as she fell and I soon followed her. We held one another in the afterglow of our lovemaking and tried for as long as possible to ignore the realities that faced us outside our room.

* * *

As Bella readied herself for dinner, I went back downstairs to get the picture to file away in Bella's office. Walking back up the stairs, I saw out of the corner of my eye a black mass dart across the living room. I did a double take and backtracked, craning my head to scan the room. There was nothing there. Shaking my head, I continued up the stairs, but a nagging sensation came over me that something wasn't right and I couldn't at that moment put my finger on it.

* * *

Masie was ecstatic to see us when we walked in through the front door of my parent's house. Bella handed Esme the container that held our dessert and went to the kitchen with her as I was pulled away by our daughter to the living room. Rosalie stretched out on the couch, a grimace on her beautiful face. I rubbed her belly and grinned when the baby began to kick. Rose opened one eye and sighed.

"Don't act so surprised. It's been doing the frickin' cha-cha in there all afternoon. Emmett started to call it Fred Astaire." She growled. Neither she or Emmett wanted to know the sex of the baby before it was born, so as a family, we gave the soon-to-be member nicknames.

"I'm kind of partial to Ginger Rogers myself." I said and sat down on the chair next to her. Alice came in carrying baby Jackson in her arms, Jasper trailing behind her. Masie's face lit up as she raced over to my pixie-sized sister.

"Auntie Alice! Can I show Daddy what I can do?" I glanced at my sister and her husband curiously. Alice nodded and motioned for Masie to sit on my lap. I held her close and watched as Alice placed her son in Masie's arms.

"Remember to hold his head," She warned and Masie nodded vigorously. Alice stepped back and watched cautiously as Masie adjusted her tiny cousin in her arms. I put my own hand under hers that supported his head and she angled hers to grin up at me.

"Look it, Daddy! I'm holding Jackson!" She said proudly. I kissed her forehead and laughed at the expression on her face when Jackson began to cry loudly. Her eyes grew wide and instantly reminded me of Bella.

"Don't worry, babe. Just be a little more quiet and gentle." His cries grew louder and panic began to set in, Masie squirmed in my lap.

"I don't want to hold him anymore," She whispered and looked up at me imploringly. I took Jackson from her and placed him against my chest, cooing him quietly. She continued to sit on my lap and watched me.

"You used to fuss like this all the time when you were Jackson's size. Momma and I used to rock you for hours until you quieted down."

"I was this small?" She pointed to the newborn in surprised. I didn't notice that Bella had entered the room or that she was even sitting on the armrest next to me before she spoke.

"You were even smaller than Jackson. Daddy used to say that he could put you right in his pocket and carry you around, you were so small." Masie giggled and blushed, an enduring trait that I was pleased to see she got from her mother. Bella reached over me to pick Jackson up and held him to her, shushing him.

"Really?" Her nose crinkled in amusement and I pulled Masie down to the floor and proceeded to tickle her. Her cackles filled the living room and soon the entire family was laughing. Emmett and I tag-teamed my daughter and loved every moment of it.

"Boys, you're going to make her sick if you keep doing that to her." Esme chided from the entrance of the living room. We stopped what we were doing and Masie continued to squeal in delight as she was flung over Emmett's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Jackson began to squirm in Bella's arms and she passed him back over to Alice.

"I think he's hungry."

"Jeepers cripes, Jackson. I just fed you, you little pig! Come on then," Alice laughed as she left the room to feed her son in privacy.

"Speaking of getting fed, dinner is about ready, so if you want to go into the dining room, I can start bringing out the food." Esme said. Emmett, with Masie still slung over his shoulder, bolted to the dining room, a new round of giggles ensued. I reached for Bella's hand and escorted her out of the room. Jasper stuck around to help Rosalie to her feet.

Dinner was relaxed and comfortable, laughter punctuated every story told. Masie laughed along with the rest of us, but I was pretty sure was doing it because everyone else was. Before dessert was served, Rosalie excused herself to use the bathroom. As Masie was eating her slice of cake, she perked up and tugged on my hand. I glanced down at her, puzzled.

"What's up, baby doll?"

"They're coming." She whispered, almost ominously. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I swallowed the fear that filled my body.

"Who's coming?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"_They're_ coming." She stressed the first part of the sentence and I nudged Bella. At that exact moment, Rosalie's voice floated down from upstairs.

"Em?! It's time!" I looked back down at my daughter and saw that she had gone back to eating her cake, albeit messily. Esme and Emmett rushed upstairs and soon enough, both were helping Rosalie to the front door. Alice hurried after her, her duty as birthing coach began.

"The bag is in the trunk, I'll call the doctor now. Emmett, help your wife to the car." Esme was in control of the situation, while the rest of us continued to sit at the kitchen table. Bella grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"I need to talk to you." She nodded and we excused ourselves from the table. Jasper and Carlisle calmly cleared the table, enlisting Masie's help after she all but licked her plate clean of crumbs and stray frosting. Bella and I went into my father's study and shut the door. I flicked the light on and sat down in one of the leather chairs nearest to me.

"What about?" Bella climbed onto my lap and rested her head on my shoulder.

"When we were eating dessert, Masie tugged on my arm and told me that 'they were coming.' I had no idea who 'they' were, so I asked again. Not five seconds later, Rosalie was yelling for Emmett. Bella, I think she knew the baby was coming." Bella stiffened and paled slightly.

**BPOV**

_What the hell is going on? First she's seeing her dead brother, now this? Oh…my…god._

_I think Masie's psychic._

As I came to this conclusion, I felt my head spin and then everything turned black.

* * *

**Review, please! Was anyone expecting that? And if you have any ideas for names for Em and Rose's baby, feel free to put them in a review.**

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm back with another installment! This one is dedicated to ericastwilight, because she helped inspire me with her personal encounters and she called me Sweetie in her review. I'm a sucker for endearments...**

**EPOV **

I gentle woke Bella up, rubbing her arms soothingly. Rapid knocking on the door made both of us jump.

"Daddy? Is Momma awake? Can I come in?" Masie's voice was muffled by the wooden door. Bella and I stared at each other in surprise and she cleared her throat.

"Yea, let Daddy unlock the door for you, sweet pea." She shifted off of me and curled up on the chair, rubbing her face with both hands. I opened the door and picked up my daughter. She looked worried at first, but once she laid eyes on Bella, she relaxed immediately.

"Are you feeling better?" Masie asked and Bella nodded, still looking a little pale.

"Lots. Did you finish your cake?"

"Yup. Pop and Jay-Jay want to go see Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmy. Can I go too?" I had completely forgotten about Rose and Emmett and started to wonder how they were doing.

"Why don't you go back out and tell Pop that we want to go too and that we'll be out in a minute." I put her back down after one final squeeze and watched her run full speed back into the kitchen, screaming the entire way. _Oh the joys of parenthood…_

"What are we going to do, Edward? It's not like we can just sit her down and force her to spill her guts. She might not even know what's happening to her."

"It might just be exactly what we need to do, love." I trailed the back of my knuckles down the side of her face and helped her up.

"It may be the only thing we can do."

* * *

Four hours later, I was rocking a sleeping Masie in the waiting room of the maternity ward, while the rest of my family took shifts going in and out of Rose's room. Alice had to be dragged out of the delivery room by Jasper and Bella so she could feed Jackson and sleep. She was currently sawing logs on the sofa next to me, Jackson curled up in Jasper's arms across the waiting room. Bella paced the hallway, ringing her hands nervously.

"A penny for your thoughts?" I quietly called out. She looked over at me and sighed.

"I'm just anxious for the baby, that's all." Her eyes were guarded and that annoyed me. Bella and I had an open relationship and the only way we could work through our problems together was to tell each other what was bothering us.

"That's not all you're thinking about." She stopped pacing and came to sit next to me. She ran her hand over Masie's brown curls and rested her head on my shoulder.

"She's got me worried. I was just hoping for a normal life, you know?" She rubbed at her eyes sadly and it tore at my heart. All I could do was just be there for her and she could take whatever she needed from me at that moment.

We drifted off to sleep and were awakened by Esme's soft voice.

"Here's the newest member of the Cullen family, Liam Royce." She cooed as she held her newborn grandson. Carlisle hooked his arm around the waist, looking ever more the proud grandfather. Bella nudged Alice and she sat up, blinking rapidly.

"She had it without me? Why didn't anyone tell me?" She pouted, but held her arms out eagerly.

"And here's his sister." Emmett announced, scaring us all. Masie woke up and looked around confused.

"Sister?" We said in unison.

"Adele Marie was a hideaway. I think Ada scared the doctor more than she did Rosie." Emmett kissed his daughter's petite nose tenderly. Bella got up and hugged my brother and he returned it. I knew that Rose and Emmett had discussed using family names, Royce was for Rose's late father. But I was pleasantly surprised to hear they used Bella's middle name for my new niece. All of a sudden what Masie had said earlier hit me: they're coming. She _knew_ Rose was having twins. I pulled Masie away from me to study her. Her big green eyes took in every single detail of the room and a content smile formed on her face.

"Hi, Daddy." She kissed my cheek sloppily and wrapped her arms around my neck. I knew at this moment that Bella and I had to do something and fast. And reliving the nightmare from five years ago was worth it for her.

* * *

It had been about three weeks since Rose and Emmett had the twins. Bella and I had discussed what our "Plan of Attack" about Masie a few times, but in the end, we came up blank. Bella was over at Rosalie's one afternoon and I had been playing piano for a while, Masie was taking a nap upstairs. I finished up the song I had been working on and headed out into the living room. Relaxing on the couch, I rested my head on my folded arms and let out a long sigh. Right before I dozed off, I heard shuffling over near the television. Grumbling, I rolled over onto my side.

"Z, you have to go back to sleep." When there was no response, I repeated myself. Again, I was met with silence.

"That's it, doll. Go back up to your room or no snack." I opened my eyes and my stomach shot to my throat. A tiny black figure darted behind the television and an airy giggle filled the room. The hair on my arms and neck stood on end and yet, oddly enough, I was almost _at ease, comfortable_ with this little…thing. I still went upstairs to see if Masie was sleeping. She was and I shut her door. I pulled out my cell phone and pressed speed dial.

"Hey, how's Masie?" Bella answered after three rings.

"She's napping. I saw something, Bells."

"What? Hold on, I need to get someone to take Liam." There was a rustling noise and a faint squawk of a baby and Bella was back on the phone.

"Okay, start over. You saw something?" I went into our room and sat on the bed.

"I finished my song finally and-"

"Really? That's great, Edward! Oh, right, sorry. Continue, please."

"I was pretty exhausted, so I went to go lie down on the sofa, catch a few winks before Masie woke up. Right before I conk out, I hear footsteps. Not like heavy footsteps, but light ones. Thinking it was Masie coming to grab a toy, I told her to go back upstairs. Nothing happened and you know how she gets sometimes, so I repeated myself. Nothing. Fed up, I open my eyes and there's this little black thing next to the T.V. A few seconds went by and it disappeared behind the entertainment center."

"I'm coming home and setting up my equipment. Did you check on Masie?"

"She's fine, I'm fine. I'll get the cameras up and running for you."

* * *

I was cutting up an apple for Masie when Bella burst in through the back door.

"Edward?"

"In the kitchen, love." Masie sucked on an apple slice and waved wildly at Bella when she came into view.

"Hi Momma!" Bella smiled, but I noticed that it didn't reach her eyes. She rubbed Masie's head absentmindedly and glanced around the kitchen anxiously.

"Anything else happen?" I shook my head and cleaned up the mess on the counter.

"All he wants to do is play." Masie sing-songed as she munched on her snack. Bella froze and so did I.

"Who wants to play?" I asked, reaching for an apple slice to keep me somewhat distracted while Masie answered.

"EJ. He plays with me sometimes in my room. I like him. He looks like Daddy." She reached for her juice box and hummed a little song to herself as she drank. Bella closed her eyes and breathed in deep through her nose. She pulled a chair over to sit next to her.

"Can you see EJ?" Masie nodded vigorously and bounced in her seat. She hiccupped and grinned.

"Yup."

"Does this EJ talk to you?"

"Yup. Can I go color now? I'm done with my snack." I took her plate away and put it in the sink.

"Not yet. What about Mr. B?" Bella asked, placing a hand on Masie's face. Masie sighed and kicked her legs out underneath her.

"He talks about Daddy a lot and he doesn't play like EJ does. EJ's scared of him."

"Why? Why is EJ scared of Mr. B?" Bella's free hand trembled in her lap as she asked the question.

"Mr. B is scary sometimes. He talks real loud and hurts my ears. He 'specially doesn't like it when Daddy is in my room. That's when he scares EJ." The new information shocked me and probably Bella as well.

"Alright, sweet cheeks. You can go color," I said quietly and watched her scamper away. Bella let out a shaky breath and rested her forehead against the cool granite of the countertop.

"That bastard is playing god damn games with my daughter." She growled menacingly.

"What are we going to do?"

"Call Ben and Angela and tell them to meet me in my office when they get here." Bella smacked her hands on the tops of her legs and stood up.

"Mr. B is going to be gone for good this time, even if it kills me." I went over to her and embraced her, never being so proud and terrified of her in my entire life.

"I couldn't agree more, love. Couldn't agree any more."

* * *

**He's backkkkk! Please leave me a review, you know you want to...**

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I feel so horrible for the long wait, but if you want a full explanation, please read the newest chapter of Drunken Partners to figure out why this update took FOREVER. I apologize and ask you for forgiveness. But I think I made it up to you by adding a lemon and making this probably the longest chapter so far. **

**Enjoy.**

The doorbell rang and I hurried to answer it. Angela hugged me and I shook Ben's hand.

"I kind of wanted to come back over one day without our equipment." Ben said as I shut the door behind him.

"Where's Masie? I brought her something," Angela held up the brightly colored bag she had in her hand and glanced around the living room. Ben and Angela had gotten married when Masie was three and they loved my girl like their very own.

"Up in her room. Bella's in her office, setting up a new case file, if you want to go drop off your stuff." Ben nodded and I turned to Angela.

"Masie would love to see you, Ang. I'll take you up, there's something I'd like to try." I filled in Angela on the way upstairs as much as I could. Masie's door was shut, which was odd. We always left it open so we could check on her by just poking our heads in.

"Baby, why's the door closed?" I knocked and jiggled the handle. It was locked and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

"Hold on!" I heard her quietly talking and then the door unlocking. Masie swung the door open, her cheeks bright red and eyes shining.

"Angie!" She flung herself at Angela and squealed in delight. She gave Masie the present and she dug into the tissue paper. Angela caught my eye over the top of Masie's head and mouthed '_What was that?' _I shrugged, not really sure what she was asking. Ben and Bella exited her office together and Masie ran off to hug Ben, showing both of them her present from Angela.

"What did you mean?" I whispered to Angela. She let out a shaky breath and pulled me into Masie's room.

"When she opened the door, I swear I saw a little…black mass dart underneath the bed. I didn't want to say anything, just in case…" Relief washed over me and I hugged Angela. She had just confirmed that I wasn't crazy. I relayed my story about seeing a tiny black figure by the television and she glanced over at her husband and Bella.

"We need to tell them."

Ben ordered pizza for all of us; Masie was super excited for it because it was a "special treat" for her. As Masie happily chattered in the living room with Angela, I briefed Ben and Bella on what Angela had seen in Masie's room.

"Tonight, I want full observation. Ben already set up digital recorders in every room and brought along extra cameras. I'm thinking of two hour shifts, alone and then pairs. There's four of us so it should work out alright. No funny business, got it?" She stared at me and grinned. It had been a long time since I saw her grin like that; I was starting to think that this was beginning to take a toll on her, physically and emotionally. The doorbell rang and Masie let out an ear-piercing squeal.

"Pizza!" She shrieked and ran around the living room excitedly. Ben shook his head and blinked.

"If that didn't stir up any ghosts, I don't know what will." He muttered as he pulled out his wallet to pay for dinner.

We ate in the living room, which Masie enjoyed immensely. We sprawled out on the furniture and reconnected. I always enjoyed spending time with Ben and Angela, and she was great with Masie. Bella seemed a little distant, giving one-word answers or for the most part, just smiling and nodding. As Ben and Angela cleaned up, I sat next to Bella and rubbed her arm. She seemed to have been startled by my touch, but leaned over to kiss me. Even that felt impersonal. I ran my fingers through her hair and settled on the nape of her neck. I squeezed lightly and she smiled.

"Sorry about that. Must've been thinking pretty hard."

"Are you okay? You sure you want to do this?"

"I just want this to end." She sounded tired, near the end of her rope, and we had yet to even start the investigation.

"So do I, but remember what you always told me? Never let it get the best of you, no matter what. I wouldn't be here if you had given up right away." I brought her close and shut my eyes, breathing her in. She clung to me with all her might.

"Ben and I were just- oh. I'm interrupting, aren't I?" Angela asked, breaking the silence.

"No, it's alright. What do you need?" I asked, still holding onto Bella.

"Well, we were just wondering if we could take Masie for a walk, to see what she has to say about this. We won't be out too late." I felt Bella nod against my chest and kissed the top of her head.

"It's fine with us. Her jacket is by the back door. If you go to the park, she loves the swings, especially if you push her really high." I winked and watched Angela leave. I heard Masie's excited squeal and the sounds of jackets zipping and doors opening and closing. It quiet and I thought I could hear footsteps above us, but I didn't say a word.

"Did you hear that?" Bella mumbled and I sighed.

"We can never get a moment to ourselves, can we?" I said jokingly.

"We're alone now, Edward." Bella pulled back from me and there was a twinkle in her eye that had my heart pumping hard.

"That we are, love." She grabbed my hand and led me from the living room up the stairs and to our room.

"Lock the door, will you? Ang and Ben can handle Masie for the night, I think." Instead of answering, I crushed my mouth against hers. Her arms hooked around my neck and her legs fastened around my hips. I stumbled backwards and turned, pinning her against the wall. She ended up higher than me, and I didn't care. I ripped at her shirt, growling when it wouldn't come off.

"Don't make so many noises," She laughed quietly as she removed her shirt and unbuttoned her jeans, wriggling against me to get them off.

"Why not? No one can hear us." I yanked the jeans off and started working on my own. I prided myself for wearing a shirt with buttons and within seconds, it was joining Bella's clothing on the floor around us.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I had Ben put digital recorders in each room. How awkward would that be for Angela or Ben to hear us having sex during a review session?" After placing a few kisses on her now bare chest, I hooked my fingers under her bra and tugged.

"I always enjoy some sort of a challenge." Her bra fell to the floor and I nuzzled between her breasts. Her fingers anchored in my hair and tugged me close. I had no idea how she managed to get her underwear off, but it was and I was grateful for that. I shimmied my own boxers down and grabbed her hips. Her head was pressed against the wall as she arched back.

"Grab my shoulders, Bella." I ground out and felt her fingers grip my bare skin. I picked her up and let her drop, joining us. We both groaned and I buried my face in her warm neck. I braced myself against the wall, palms flat. I set a quick rhythm and soon enough, I could feel our releases coming. Bella began moaning loudly and I covered her mouth with my hand.

"Shh…recorder, remember?" I smiled against her skin and looked up, noticing that now she was biting her bottom lip to keep from making noise. I pulled her head down to mine and kissed her roughly. She wrapped her arms around my neck and her hips slammed down against mine. I swallowed her screams eagerly and nearly fell to the ground when my own release hit. On shaky legs, I carried the both of us to the bed and rolled onto my back, breathing heavily. Bella trembled on top of me, her breath coming out in sweet wafts across my face.

"We should let Ben and Angela take Masie out for walks more often," She whispered tiredly and I started to laugh. _My Bella is back._

* * *

Bella fell asleep after another round of "Secret Sex", as she nicknamed it. I went to check on Masie after glancing at the clock on my bedside table. Ben and Angela were in their room, and Masie was tucked tightly into her own bed. As I started to shut her door, I noticed something odd in the corner of her room. There was a pillow from her bed, a blanket from the living room and a stuffed bunny on the floor, along with what looked like a note. I crept quietly across the room and crouched down, picking up the note.

'_Hi EJ,_

_This is for you. My bunny's name is Mr. Wiggles. You can hug him if you feel sad. My daddy said that Mr. Wiggles takes away all the bad things. Maybe he can take away Mr. B. _

_Love, Masie Cullen'_

I touched the bunny that my sister Alice got for Masie a few days after she was born. Masie slept with that stuffed animal every night, religiously, and now it was on the floor? _When did this start?_ I stuck the note in my pocket and went over to where my daughter slept. I shivered impulsively, because of how cold it was around the bed. I stepped back, thinking it was the vent blowing cold air. _Wait, there isn't a vent by her bed…_I stuck out my hand and felt the coolness. I moved it around, to check if it was just a coincidence. The cold spot was no more than a foot wide and three feet tall. My mind reeled at the sudden realization that my son was standing next to his sister's bed.

"EJ?" I whispered. Nothing happened, so I repeated his name again.

"EJ? If it's you, will you do something so I know for sure that I'm talking to you? Knock three times or make something move." I remembered there was a digital recorder in the room, so I grabbed it.

"See this? You can talk into this and Mommy and I can hear you. We're not going to let anything hurt you, buddy." I dropped to my knees and leaned against Masie's bed. She didn't stir at all. I waited patiently for something to happen and nearly shot to the ceiling in surprise when I heard a low humming noise and a sharp tug on my pants leg.

"That you, buddy? Can you do it again?" I felt the tug and then a book shifted on the floor next to me. I couldn't help but grin.

"Don't go anywhere, okay? I need to get your mom." I hurried out of the room and down the hall.

"Bella, babe, wake up." I shook her gently and she opened one eye.

"What?"

"You need to see this. I can't tell you what's going on, you have to experience it for yourself." Rubbing her eyes sleepily, Bella slid out of bed. I handed her my shirt and boxers and led her to Masie's room. I sat down near the bed and felt almost instantly a tug on my pants. _'Atta boy._

"Sit down." I patted the floor and Bella sighed as she sat.

"Alright, show her you're here." Bella glanced at me and narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"What are we doing in- oh! Something just touched my leg. Who's touching my leg?" A nervous tone entered her voice and she grabbed my hand.

"Tug my pants if you said something in the recorder." A few seconds went by before I felt the ever-familiar tug. I rewound the recorder and replayed the last ten minutes. Bella smoothed out Masie's hair and pulled the comforter up a little more as we waited for a sign. We knew we both heard it because we both let out a startled gasp.

"Replay that, Edward." Her voice was low and breathy. I nodded weakly and rewound it.

"_**Hi Daddy…it's me, EJ.**_"

* * *

**Leave a review if you still love me.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I owe you all a _HUGE _apology! This is SOOOOOOOOO late! Oh. My. God. I honestly, truly, from the bottom of my heart, apologize for the long wait. But I won't keep you long from the story, because from a lot of the reviews I've gotten, you've been waiting (but not so patiently :P) for this chapter.**

* * *

"_**Hi, Daddy. It's me, EJ." **_My entire body shook and I dropped the recorder on the rug. Tears pricked my eyes and I pressed my palms against my face. Bella had her arms around me instantly, kissing my shoulder and cheek. I could feel her tears against my skin and I knew at that moment, we had changed. The cold vanished from around my legs and I was afraid I had scared EJ with my reaction.

"EJ? It's okay. I'm not scared, just surprised. I wasn't expecting that at all. Can you come back over here by us?"

"Love, it's alright." Bella reached out in the thin air with an eager expression. I waited quietly and was rewarded with Bella's grin and laughter.

"This is amazing! Edward, can you believe it? I love you, EJ." Bella's eyes danced in the moonlight and I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders, off my conscience. She stiffened momentarily and happily sighed.

"Thank you, love. I wish I could hug you, too." The low humming noise returned and I rewound the tape.

"_**I love you, Momma.**_"

"So do I, baby. Daddy and I are trying really hard to make you feel safe here. Can you tell us what Mr. B looks like?" _Nothing like my Bella to get straight to the bottom of things._ We waited for a few seconds before she gave me the cue to back up the tape.

"_**He has scary eyes.**_" I knew personally what those eyes looked like and they still sent a shiver down my spine.

"I know he does. What else can you tell us about him?" I asked, shaking the feeling we were being watched from somewhere else in the house.

"_**He hates Daddy. I don't like him at all. Make him go away.**_"

"We're trying, EJ. We need your help to make sure he never comes back." Bella was scribbling on a piece of construction paper and anxiously looking back at me.

"_**Masie talks to him, too. I don't like it when she does that. I don't want her to be scared.**_" Growing up with an older brother, I knew what it was like to have a protective force looking out for you. And even in death, EJ was looking out for his baby sister and I had never been prouder of anyone than I was of EJ.

"She doesn't want you to be scared, either. Does Masie talk to you?" Bella glanced up from her notes over to Masie, who shifted noiselessly in her bed.

"_**Yea. I like her voice.**_ _**She looks like Momma.**_"

"That she does. It's late, EJ. Momma and I need to go back to bed. Promise us you'll get our attention during the day. Your aunts and uncles are coming over tomorrow and you should show yourself to them. They love and miss you. Momma and I will be right there with you, so you won't be afraid." I held my hand out to Bella and smiled when she grasped it. I squeezed three times, our secret code for each other, and stood. I felt a cold band around my legs and waited for EJ to hug Bella. As we left the room, I swore I saw out of the corner of my eye, EJ in full form, standing next to Masie's bed. I grinned ruefully to myself as I shut the door behind us. _Now that we put the kids to bed…_

I had never slept so peacefully in my whole life than I did after interacting with EJ. Bella was still sound asleep when I woke up and I had no intention of waking her. I checked on Masie, knowing she liked to get up early and found her sprawled out, dead asleep in bed. Barefoot, I jogged down the stairs and stumbled backwards, stomach rolling. An invisible wall of what felt like ice barricaded me from the kitchen and the stench of rotting human flesh filled my nostrils. My eyes watered and I felt bile surging up my throat. I turned around and hit the same wall. I was enclosed in a freezing, stinking prison.

"Bella! Ben! Angela! Anyone!" I started pounding on the walls, my voice echoing loudly in my ears. My eyes caught movement by the front door. Ben was coming in, a box of donuts in one hand and a travel mug of coffee in the other, the newspaper was tucked under his arm.

"Ben! Jesus Christ! What the fuck is this?!" I bellowed, trying to catch his attention. A wave of stench hit my face and I dry heaved violently. As if he heard, Ben spun on his heel and his eyes widened. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he looked as though he was yelling for someone.

"_**Idiot boy, you really think I would be gone for good? I told you I would be back.**_" His voice thundered in the box and my ears rang in the silence.

"Stay the fuck away from me and my family. We did absolutely nothing to you!" I spun around, hoping to see him standing behind me.

"_**I want the girl.**_" My blood ran cold and my heart stopped.

"Never. God damn it, wasn't I enough?! You can fuck with me, with anyone else, but don't you lay one disgusting finger on my daughter. I will kill you if anything happens to her." I growled as my mind reeled. What did he want with Masie? Was it because she could see him? I remembered Ben was outside the box and I found that Bella had joined him, frantically tearing at the barriers surrounding me. Deep, resounding laughter that chilled me to the bones filled the container.

"_**Kill me? I'll **_**kill**_** you! I tried once before, what's to say I won't try again? And I had my way with you, Edward. I want the girl this time**_**.**"

"What is she to you? Why her?"

"_**ENOUGH!**_" I flew against the wall, hard, and crumpled to the floor. Dazed, I realized the walls had turned to a swirling mass of black smoke.

"_**I thought I had taught you a lesson before, boy. It did not stick. Maybe this will help.**_" I was tossed in the air and slammed the floor. I groaned and rolled to my side, only to be spun around, head hitting the walls. Black spots filled my vision as I felt a vise around my neck tighten. I gasped and heard myself calling out for Bella, for Masie. For EJ. Just as I was slipping into unconsciousness, I saw a bright white light and then the tightening stopped. I inhaled deeply, coughing harshly as rancid air filled my lungs. The swirling black was replaced with a white so blinding, I shielded my eyes against the glare. In the middle, standing defensively at my feet, was EJ. An outraged roar filled the room and EJ simply straightened up, his head cockily tipped. I struggled to sit up, pain shooting through my entire body. EJ turned around and touched my face. I gasped as warm light surged through me, the pain immediately disappeared. My skin glowed and I stared wide-eyed at my son.

"Thank you." I said, my voice full of awe and appreciation. EJ grinned crookedly and rolled his eyes.

"You're welcome, Daddy. Mr. B makes me so angry sometimes, 'specially when he goes by Masie." I reached out and wrapped my arms around him. Tears stung my eyes when I found myself hugging a solid figure. His tiny arms clung to me, warmth pouring out of him and into me. I kissed the top of his head and held him tightly, knowing this may be the only time I would be privileged to do so.

"You're doing a great job, EJ. We're so proud of you." My heart ached, wishing I could bring him back exactly like this.

"I don't want you to go," EJ whispered in my ear. I kissed him again and relished in the feeling of _him._

"When Masie is scared, I always hold her hand. Do you want me to hold your hand?" He nodded and looked up at me.

"Can you let me out of this box?" I asked as I memorized every feature of his perfect face. The mess of bronze hair, his bright green eyes speckled with the chocolate brown of his mother, the smattering of freckles he inherited from both of us. EJ closed his eyes and the walls seem to melt.

"Bye, Daddy." He said as the walls came down around us, his tiny figure shimmered. I heard Bella cry out both our names and as soon as he had appeared, EJ was gone. Bella was kneeling next to me, holding me, but I was staring at where EJ had stood.

"I felt him. He was so warm." I whispered raggedly. I could still feel him in my arms and I wondered momentarily if he was actually in them.

"I saw him, too." Bella kissed my face, wiping away the tears I hadn't noticed.

"He saved my life."

"I know. I love him even more for that." I shifted so I could see my wife. I placed a hand on her cheek and leaned forward.

"He acts so much like you,"

"But he got his father's good looks." She grinned sloppily and kissed me.

* * *

**If I get a lot of reviews, it'll motivate me to start on the next chapter. I'm gone for the weekend (Happy 4th to all the US readers!), but hopefully I'll get to work on Monday.**

**REMEMBER: REVIEWS=GETTING THE CHAPTER FASTER. REVIEW.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: ...hi. Please don't hate me. I made sure that this chapter was extra, super-dee-duper-ly wrong for you all. My summer has been SUPAH nuts and I found myself trying to find time to even search for my laptop. I apologize for the wait, but honestly, this is totally worth it.**

The shock of feeling EJ in my arms wore off and knowing that Jacob Black was back made me suddenly sick to my stomach. Bella put her hand on my clammy cheek and wiped the beads of sweat off my forehead.

"Are you going to be okay?" She whispered, rubbing her thumb under my eye. I shook my head and began to swallow involuntarily. She helped me to my feet and I barely made it to the kitchen sink before losing the contents of my stomach. Bella turned the faucet it on and splashed cold water on my face. She rubbed my back soothingly, kissing my temple. I collapsed against the sink, completely drained and mentally exhausted. Ben was taking detailed notes and pictures at the bottom of the stairs.

"Just give me a minute, okay?" My voice was hoarse and I tasted bile on my tongue. I angled my head to lap at the stream of water from the faucet, rinsing out the rancid taste. Bella squeezed the nape of my neck and kissed between my shoulder blades.

"Okay. I'll be over by Ben if you need me." Her hand left my neck and I closed my eyes, concentrating on my breathing. The events of this morning flashed across my eyelids and I groaned. I had only been awake for a few hours and I nearly died. _I seriously need to find new hobbies._ I was close to falling asleep with my head inches away from my own vomit when an ear-splitting scream pierced the air. I shot up, blood rushing in my veins. Bella whipped around, face white and eyes wide.

"Masie!" We both gasped and I was right on her heels as we raced up the stairs. Bursting through the bedroom door, we skidded to an abrupt halt. Every single item in Masie's room was off the ground, slowly circling around us. Including Masie herself.

"Mama! Daddy!" She screeched from above, and I saw her hanging off the edge of the bed. I reached up for her, but to my surprise and ever-growing horror, her bed lurched higher in the air. She shrieked and tried pulling off the blankets, to no avail. They were pinning her to the bed.

"Hang on, baby. We're trying." Bella and I desperately jumped up, the tips of our fingers grazing the bottom ruffle on her bed and every time, she went higher and higher. I touched a chair and it fell to the ground with a loud clunk. I stood on it and grasped Masie's hand. Everything that was in the air landed with a shocking thud. Except for Masie. She disappeared with a loud 'pop!'. I stumbled backwards as though someone had punched me in the stomach. Bella started screaming and I turned to comfort her, but she ran into the hallway. She skidded on the polished hardwood and slammed into the railing overlooking the foyer and the massive chandelier that hung from the ceiling.

"Bella, what's-" I looked up and my heart stopped. Cold sweat broke out all over my body. Masie floated precariously high in the air, her small body completely still. Her hair and sleep shirt swirled around her, like she was caught in a mild breeze. Her eyes were full of panic and terror. She let out a tiny shriek and held a hand out to me.

"Masie! Masie, listen to me. Do not move an inch! I'm coming to get you." I said as calmly as I could, even though my insides were quivering. Ben and Angela found us and Angela let out a strangled scream.

"Ben, get the ladder that's in the garage." I heard him stomp down the stairs but I didn't break eye contact with my daughter. Bella was gripping the railing in what I presumed was a vice grip.

"Baby, you're going to be okay. Daddy and Ben are going to get you down. You are a brave little girl, you know that? Daddy and I love you very much and you are going to be absolutely fine." Bella's voice shook and she cleared her throat, tears streaming down her ashen cheeks. Masie nodded and sniffled quietly. The sound broke my heart. I said a prayer and hoped that EJ was somewhere, working his magic on keeping his baby sister safe. The doorbell rang and I quickly glanced down. The door swung open and my entire family shuffled in.

"Morning, Edward! Bella! Where's Masie? Bella, why do you look like that? What's wrong?" Alice went silent as her eyes fell on her niece. My family followed Alice's gaze and an unison gasp echoed in the foyer.

"I need some help!" Ben yelled from the garage. Emmett and Jasper shook themselves from their stupor and ran to help Ben. Alice and Rosalie quickly brought their children into the living room and stumbled up the stairs, joining Bella and I by the railing. Carlisle and Esme stayed below Masie, still in shock. They were shoved out of the way by the large ladder I had purchased years ago to re-shingle the roof. They set it up directly under Masie, Jasper quickly climbed up and reached for Masie's foot.

"Daddy!" She screeched as she was yanked upward by invisible strings. Jasper climbed to the very top of the ladder, all but on the tips of his toes.

"I can't go that high," Jasper groaned as his arm waved wildly in the air beneath Masie. She whimpered as her feet hit the crystals of the chandelier.

"Look at me, Masie. Look at me! Don't look away. We are going to get you down. Uncle Jasper isn't tall enough, but the ladder can go even higher if Uncle Emmett and Uncle Ben help move the ladder to rest against the wall." I said pointedly. Jasper slid down the ladder and the three men began to do what I said. Suddenly the house went black, even though it was mid-morning. I couldn't see my hand an inch from my nose if I had tried. Startled yells filled the air. Then it was silent. A low buzzing noise filled my ears and I felt nauseous, even though everything in me was currently in the kitchen sink. As if someone had turned on a strobe light, light began to flicker rapidly. I focused my eyes on Masie and my world stopped as I watched her fall from the air, almost in slow-motion because of the strobe light.

"NOOO!" I bellowed, arms outstretched in hopeless desperation. Bella screamed and the darkness enveloped us. We all heard a soft thump and a loud, pained cry. I slid down the railing, my legs had gave way from underneath me. Bella's mournful wails filled the house. Tears leaked from my eyes. My life as I knew it was obsolete.

"Edward! Bella! She's all right! I've got her!" Emmett yelled in the dark. I scrambled to my feet and ran into someone, from the familiar strawberry smell I knew it was Bella. We blindly stumbled down the stairs and used the wall as a guide until we got into the foyer. I remembered where I had seen my brother last and grabbed Bella's hand.

"Emmett, where are you?" At the same time as I spoke, the light filtered brightly through the windows and I saw that Emmett and my daughter were at my feet. Emmett was visibly shaking, clutching Masie to his chest in his large arms. Masie burrowed into her uncle, her face hidden in his bulky sweater.

"Love, come here." I grabbed my daughter around the waist and pulled her to me. I tumbled back, wrapping my arms tightly around her. Bella fell on top of us, sobbing and laughing at the same time. Masie began to cry loudly, her terror fading into intense relief. Bella and I smothered her in kisses, every spot of her precious skin was not left untouched. My family surrounded us, everyone was talking at the same time. "_What's going on?…Should I call an ambulance?…Is she all right?…How did she get up there?…Is Jacob Black back again?…What's going to happen to Edward?…" _I ignored my family and held my daughter and wife. Bella kissed me soundly on the lips, tears streaming from her cheeks onto mine.

* * *

Angela and Esme were working quickly and efficiently in the kitchen, making coffee and hot chocolate. Ben was documenting quietly, making notes and running back and forth from the foyer to the office. Carlisle had given Masie a mild sedative and she was out-cold before we reached the top of the stairs. Bella, Alice and Rosalie were with the babies and Masie in our bedroom. Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle and I were sitting in the living room, drinking beer. I filled in my brothers and father about what went on this morning. Emmett took a long pull from his bottle and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Holy shit, man. First you, then this?" He gestured over to the foyer and I nodded. Carlisle said that I was in mild shock, which was an understatement.

"I don't know what to do. I thought it was over with five years ago. And now Masie is tangled up in this. That was the one thing I dreaded. Something didn't work with me and now it's after my daughter." The hairs on the back of my neck stood up for no reason. It was like someone was watching me. I slowly turned around and saw nothing. Sighing, I chugged the rest of my beer and set the bottle down. Something nagged at me, but I couldn't figure out what.

"Edward?" Bella called from the upstairs. Emmett grabbed the remote control and turned the television on. I got up, carrying my empty bottle to the kitchen and went up to the office. Bella sat behind her desk, hair a mess from running and tugging her hands through it.

"Yes?" I asked, sitting down in the chair across from her. She lifted her head and smiled.

"I made some calls and found something." Puzzled, I came around the desk and knelt next to her.

"Found what?"

"James and Victoria Warner. They specialize in these type of occurrences. I've worked with them on these types of cases before. They'll be here tomorrow afternoon."

"What type of cases? Bella, who are these people?"

"James and Victoria are demonologists." I rocked back on my heels, the realization of this situation fell heavily on my shoulders.

"Do you think we're dealing with a demon?" She put her hand on my cheek briefly and swiveled the monitor on her computer towards me.

"I should've noticed it before, years ago. The possession was only the tip of the iceberg. Jacob Black means business, bad business. But I can't do this alone. Ben and Angela are working on possible short-term solutions until we find the actual cure. Edward, this is serious. And I think it's all because of poor Masie." Tears sparkled in her warm brown eyes and I kissed the back of her hand.

"I'll support every single thing you do if it keeps Masie safe and unharmed."

"That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. Victoria, besides being a renowned demonologist, also works with children with psychic tendencies. I'm having her take a look at Masie, maybe finding out whether or not she's psychic." The night Rosalie had the twins flashed in my mind vividly, and I knew that wasn't very common for children her age.

"Will Masie be okay with that? What if she doesn't know that she's doing it or seeing the things that she does? It might scare her or make her feel insecure later in life."

"Victoria is phenomenal when it comes to this. She majored in psychology in college and knows how to work with children and parents. I trust her more than I trust a doctor."

"Bella, how do you know these people?" The way she talked about Victoria made it sound as though they were family.

"We went to college together, Victoria and I. Roommates, in fact. Her husband James is a really good friend of mine."

"Oh." _Why haven't I heard of these people before? If they were such great friends, where were they five years ago?_ I shook my head and rested my head in Bella's lap. She played with my hair and we were silent, both in our own little world.

"Do you think Masie will remember this?" I whispered, closing my eyes.

"I hope not. This isn't something I'd wish on anyone." I thought back to the moment I saw Masie fall and that thing that nagged at me came clear.

"EJ." I gasped, my head nearly cracking against the edge of the desk. Bella glanced at me, bewildered.

"What does EJ have to do with this?"

"I saw him, with Masie, as she was falling. I didn't think of it at the time, but I can _see_ him now in my mind." Bella stiffened and closed her eyes.

"I can't, Edward. If you saw him, I must've seen him as well."

"It was right as she began to fall, between the flickering lights. He followed her down, almost guiding her to Emmett." She wracked her memory again and sadly shook her head.

"Why can't I see him?" Her voice broke and I gathered her up.

"It's not fair," She cried, burying her face in my shirt. I held her and rubbed her back.

"What's not fair, love?"

"You got to see him, hold him, _talk_ to him. I gave birth to him and I never got to hear his voice. You looked so god damn happy this morning and all I could do was stare. How is that fair?" I couldn't think of anything to say. I had no idea she felt that way.

"Maybe I'll have to get in a dangerous situation, climb over the railing or something to get him to notice me." The words chilled me to the bone. I firmly grabbed Bella's shoulders and shook her.

"Don't _ever_ talk like that, you hear me? Putting yourself in danger isn't the answer. You don't know if he can show up by choice. He knows that you want to see him and he knows that you love him. Bella, I have no idea what you feel, but I know EJ wouldn't and doesn't want you to go to drastic measures to see him." She was silent after that, but continued to cry.

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? Make you cry? Heart stop? Jaws drop? Leave a review? Answer: YES to the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and most definitely 6th.**

**A Personal Note from AFutureCullen:**

**You can let out your breath, I'm not writing to say I'm stopping my stories. I'M NOT. I'm going to college. I move on Saturday and will probably not be able to update for a couple of days, possibly a week. I do not have afternoon classes, so that may be the time I'll be updating. Please stick with me here, since you've been dutifully warned.**

**I love you all. You make me smile while I write because I envision the amount of reviews I will find tomorrow in my inbox.**

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Hey everyone! Bad news. My computer died. I had to get a new one and I didn't save any of my stories to a flash drive. So. I'm getting it fixed and I'm hoping with all my heart that I can get my stories on a CD and start working on them again. I'm sorry if this is going to take awhile, I'm pissed about it too. My old computer was a piece of crap and it royally screwed me over this time. Well, I hope that you will stick along for this ride. I promise the minute I can get my stories on my new laptop, I will start updating. I'll keep you in the loop, don't worry.

I love you all and I'll be writing soon.

AFutureCullen

Aka

Meghan


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: HOLY FACK! I apologize a thousand times over for this SUPER long wait! I hope you all remember the plot line still! I'm carving time out of my CRAZY schedule here in College Land and whipped this puppy out for you all. It's by far the LONGEST chapter that I will probably (not really) ever post. Gah...6 pages typed out. My brain is fried, but don't worry, dear readers, I'm still on top of my game. And if you also read Drunken Partners, that will updated soon (*crosses fingers nervously*)**

**I also have been kicking around another story in me noggin' and will probably (not really) post it up here soon. I have to finish the ending in my head before I can start typing it out.**

**On another note: NEW MOON OPENS NEXT WEEKEND AND I'M NOT GOING TO THE MIDNIGHT PREMIERE! I HAVE TO WAIT UNIL FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO SEE IT! I'm going to deprive myself of my senses all day until I can finally see it.**

**You're probably sick and tired of my ramblings and anxious to read on, so I'll let you. I guess.**

"Do I get to sleep in your room tonight?" Masie asked excitedly as I carried her down the hall to the master bedroom. After the ordeal earlier in the day, Bella and I didn't want Masie out of our sight, even if she slept right down the hall. With having us in the same room, plus my entire family staying in the guest bedrooms and living room, we were under the belief that we could handle anything that would come our way before James and Victoria showed up tomorrow.

"Yep. You can make a fort and everything." As Masie squealed loudly in my ear, I sent out a prayer to whoever was listening. _Thank you for letting me be able to hold her tonight. Thank you for not making today our last day._ Bella was piling blankets and pillows onto our bed and smiled when we both walked in.

"You ready to have some fun?" Masie launched herself from my arms and landed with a soft thump onto the blankets.

"Can I stay up late, too?"

"Don't push your luck, lady. How does ten for a bedtime sound?" Bella said, stacking pillows to create a tent.

"Perfect!" Masie giggled and threw a pillow at me. Growling playfully, I jumped next to her and proceeded to tickle her until all three of us were dying of laughter.

Not five minutes after we started to watch her favorite movie, The Lion King, was Masie fast asleep. She was sprawled across the top of me; her head nestled under my chin. Bella curled up next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. We were in the middle of the bed, a large blanket draped over the top like a circus tent. Bella had turned off the television and the rest of the lights and I shifted in bed, Masie slipping into the space between us.

"Do you think Masie is going to feel comfortable with Victoria?" I whispered, playing with a strand of Bella's hair. She sighed and I felt her nod.

"Edward, please trust me with this. I have the upmost confidence and trust in Victoria and James's skills." I leaned forward, kissing her lightly.

"I trust you." Resting back against my pillow, I pulled Masie closer. _Please let this be easier for her than it was for me._

We were awoken later in the morning by Masie's small frame jumping wildly on the bed.

"Wake up! Wake up! Nana's making waffles!" Bella groaned and covered her face with a pillow. I grabbed Masie around the legs and tossed her down on the blankets.

"I'll turn you into a waffle if you don't stop jumping," I grumbled, a smile breaking out on my face when Masie stood up and continued jumping. Sliding out of bed (and nearly breaking my neck on a pile of tangled blankets), I picked Masie up and slung her over my shoulder. I carried her down to the kitchen, her peals of laughter echoing throughout the house.

"Hey Em, you hungry?" I asked, entering the dining room. Emmett was sitting patiently at the kitchen table, sniffing wistfully the delightful aroma of Esme's world famous waffles.

"Uh, yeah. Stupid question, Edward." Flipping Masie over, I set her down on Emmett's plate.

"Here's your first waffle." Masie giggled as Emmett prodded her with a fork.

"This is the oddest looking waffle I've ever seen. Jasper, check this out." Emmett called Jasper over when he entered the kitchen.

"Esme's been making some interesting meals lately." Jasper picked up one of her bare feet and nibbled on her toes. Shrieking with laughter, Masie kicked out and Emmett got her other foot. He did the same thing.

"Hmm…needs more sugar…" I watched as my brothers "devoured" my daughter and at the same time, wolfing down my third waffle my mother put in front of me.

"You know, Emmett is going to be upset he didn't get the first one." All but licking the plate clean, I shrugged my shoulders.

"He's a big boy. How did you and Dad sleep last night?" Esme stopped pouring batter into the waffle iron and turned around.

"We…heard things," She whispered, biting her bottom lip. I put my plate in the sink and glanced around; making sure no one was eavesdropping.

"What kind of things?"

"I don't know, Edward. Noises. I was barely awake and so was your father. Someone talking."

"Do you know what they said?" Esme went back to pouring batter when Bella and Alice came in.

"One sounded really young, the other older. It was all mumbles and such. I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you." Signaling to Bella, I placed a hand on my mom's back.

"It was more than enough, Mom." Bella joined us in the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at me. I quickly filled her in and she pulled out her cell phone and texted Ben, who was still upstairs with Angela.

"I'll have him put a recorder in their room. James called after you left, they'll be here in ten minutes." I nodded and kissed Bella's temple. Heading back upstairs, I decided to straighten up the mess of blankets and pillows in the bedroom before hopping into the shower and getting ready. The bathroom smelled like Bella and I smiled. I always liked watching her get ready in the morning, because it reminded me of my biological mother Elizabeth, when Alice and I would wait for her to finish putting on her make-up to drive us to daycare. Bella, for being notoriously clumsy everywhere else, was graceful and natural when it came to her beauty routine. I never saw such ease and poise when she put mascara on or eyeliner. I flinched every time she came close to her eye with that point of the liner pencil.

I stood in the shower, the warm water flowing over me. I suddenly wished for Bella to be in here with me, to sit on the bathroom counter and talk to me. But the arrival of James and Victoria, the trauma from yesterday with Masie, was starting to take a physical toll on her. _Hell, this whole situation is screwing us all up. _I washed my hair and noticed I had used Bella's shampoo. _Great, now I smell like a manly strawberry._ I shut the water off, grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my waist. Walking out dripping wet from the bathroom, I ran into a figure. Stepping back, I realized with startling clarity, that Bella most definitely did not have shockingly red hair.

"Who are you?" I asked, staring at the stranger in my bedroom.

"Bella wasn't lying on the phone. I'm Victoria, Bella's friend." Victoria held out a hand to me and I cautiously shook it.

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" Victoria held up a small black piece of equipment that I recognized as an electro-magnetic field detector or an EMF.

"Just getting base readings and a feeling of the house. Bella didn't tell me you were up here. I'll just…leave." Victoria grinned widely and sauntered out of the room. She passed Bella as she left and Bella stared at me in shock.

"I wouldn't have let her up here if I had known you looked like that," She pointed to my half-naked body and an odd flicker of light lit up her eyes. _Hmm…two can play this game…_

"Showing her the goods, were you? Marking your territory?" I said huskily, moving slowly towards her.

"No…I mean, yes…but Victoria knows better than to-" I cut off her ramblings by crushing her to me. She moaned quietly and my heart raced. Her hands gripped my towel tightly as I walked us backwards to the bed. Falling back gently, I grabbed fistfuls of her hair and buried my face in her neck. She sighed and stroked my back.

"Mmm…this is nice…" She whispered as I left a trail of nibbling kisses from her chin to her collar bone.

"Damn right." _I have such a way with words._ As I was working my way steadily down her front, Bella began to snicker quietly. Lifting my head, I cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What?"

"You smell like strawberries. You used my shampoo?"

"On accident. I was thinking about you putting on makeup and how much that reminded me of my mother Elizabeth and I must've grabbed it without realizing it. Sorry."

"No, no, I like it. The next time you do use it, remind me to grab some chocolate," She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and I burst out laughing. I kissed the tip of her nose and crawled off of her. She smacked my ass and I jumped, my towel falling to the floor. We both stared at each other for a moment before I launched myself back on the bed, pulling her under the covers with me.

"Edward. We have guests downstairs." She hissed as I tugged at her pants.

"Don't start something that you're not willing to finish, babe. You're in for the long run now." Sighing and faking reluctance, Bella took of her shirt and laid back down in bed, staring up at me.

"Make it quick, I guess." Laughing more, I bent down to take her mouth with mine. I undid her bra and shifted down, eyeing her chest unabashedly. _God, I love her breasts._ I nuzzled the valley between them, pressing light kisses against the soft skin. Bella tangled her hands in my wet hair and tugged gently. I was an inch away from the promise land when the door burst open.

"Holy…I am _so_ sorry. Victoria told me to go upstairs to check things out," A man's voice cut through the silence in the room. Bella covered herself up quickly as I rolled off of her.

"Does anyone in this house knock?!" I groaned into my pillow.

"Uh, Edward, this is James. James, my husband Edward. Shut the door when you leave, will you?" Bella asked, wrapping the comforter around her bare chest. I heard the door click shut and I sat up, glaring at her.

"I am buying a deadbolt for this room. Today."

Once Bella and I got dressed again, we went downstairs. Emmett was still sitting at the kitchen table, staring at me with murder in his eyes.

"You're a bastard, you know that right?"

"Mom outdid herself this morning. My first three were phenomenal." I flipped my brother off as I followed Bella into the living room. James and Victoria were sitting on the loveseat, talking with the rest of my family. Alice was feeding her son Jackson a bottle and Carlisle was holding Rose's son Liam, while Jasper rocked Adele by the window. Masie was getting her hair braided by Rose.

"You clean up nicely, if I do say so myself." Victoria bit her lip, eyes bright with laughter. I let out an annoyed huff and Bella ran her hand across my chest soothingly.

"What does the tattoo on your hip mean?" She asked and Bella gasped, while everyone in the room turned their heads to stare at me.

"I'm going to kill them all." I grumbled under my breath. Bella pinched my arm hard, obviously having heard what I said.

"It's the Cullen family crest." Carlisle answered for me. Victoria nodded, but continued looking at me strangely. I sat down on the floor next to Masie, who immediately climbed in my lap.

"Look at what Rosie did!" She used the ends of her braids to tickle my face and I laughed, because if anything, Masie could always make my day better.

"First of all, we'd like to apologize for not making it to the wedding." James said, startling both Bella and I. _Bella invited them? Why don't I remember her telling me this?_

"James, it's okay. I understood. And also, it was over six years ago. No hard feelings." Bella said, sitting next to Alice.

"We'd also like to congratulate you on having a baby. Two, right? Where's your other one?" Victoria asked excitedly.

"He's in heaven, with the angels and Gramma and Grampa Masen. Right, Mommy?" Masie piped up from my lap, happy to have answered a question.

"Right, Masie." Bella said, her eyes scanning the room. I shook my head discreetly when she looked at me, with an expression that asked: _Is he here?_

"Oh my God, Bella…I wouldn't have asked if I knew…it's just that James and I have been all over the past couple of years and we're behind on the times. We're still under the assumption that Britney Spears and Kevin Federline are still married." She joked, but the pain and apologies were evident in her eyes.

"It's fine. We're fine talking about EJ."

"EJ, short for?" Victoria sounded confused.

"Edward James." Bella said softly and James tensed up. Bella smiled weakly and brushed a strand of hair out from in front of her eyes.

"You said you were all over the place these past couple of years. Where did you go?" God bless my father, because he knew how to change a topic smoothly like a pro. James cleared his throat and grabbed a file folder from the bag next to him.

"Bella, Victoria and I used to travel all over the world, in search of paranormal activity not normally heard of before. We all helped her write her books. She left to go work in the States for a while, and Victoria and I decided to start investigating some growing claims of vampires in Europe."

"Vampires? Like sleeping in coffins, 'I vant to suck your blood' vampires?" Jasper said, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Not exactly. That's the stereotype they want you to believe. They act just like natural human beings, albeit their being dead and all." My entire family was in shock…except for Bella.

"So where did you go?" She asked, the investigator in her was slowly taking over.

"Well, we started off in Transylvania like everyone else. We followed some false leads until we stumbled upon the Holy Grail of vampire folklore: an actual working governmental system of vampires." Victoria pulled out a stack of papers, with neat handwriting at the very top that read "Volterra, Italy: The Volturis". Bella snatched it before the rest of us could get a good enough look at it. Her eyes widened and she let out a stunned laugh.

"You've got to be kidding me! Have you told anyone else about this?"

"Not yet. We're not exactly finished with our research. We were on our way to the Pacific Northwest to double-check some things when you called me. So, once we're done here, we're moving on with our investigation."

"Wait, what? Who are the Volturis?" Alice asked, obviously confused and all the more curious.

"They are the head of the so-called governmental system. If one vampire goes rogue or does something the Volturis don't approve of, they are sent directly to them for their punishment." Victoria explained simply, while James pulled out another file folder.

"And have you talked to any of these Volturis?" Carlisle asked, handing Liam to Rosalie.

"Not directly. We have spoken to some of the humans who work for them. The Volturi prefer to keep their identity a secret. And they normally don't just walk out into public. Especially in Volterra, it's way too sunny for them." James answered, a sly grin on his face.

"That's right, because they'll burn to a crisp." Jasper laughed, unable to hold it in any longer, as did Emmett who was now standing behind the couch. James shook his head at my brothers.

"Yet another belief. They don't go out in the sun because it would draw too much attention to them from the humans."

"Why?" We all asked in unison.

"Because they glisten like diamonds if a single beam of sun hits their skin." Victoria said and waited for our reaction. It was quiet before our hilarity filled the rooms.

"You're shitting me, right? Blood-sucking zombies look like a stripper in the sunlight?" Emmett roared, bracing himself against the couch. James and Victoria did not look all too pleased with my family at the moment.

"We're sorry. We've been trying to keep an open mind ever since Bella joined the family, but some things are just too funny." Esme snickered, wiping her watery eyes with her sleeve.

"We understand completely. We get this a lot." James said, a smile that looked like a grimace appeared on his face.

"Okay, so you have a government of glittery vampires. What else?" Alice asked, obviously more intrigued about this than other people in the room.

"Aren't you going to ask us the most basic question? What do they eat?"

"Duh. Humans. We're not that stupid." Emmett snorted. Victoria shook her finger at him and stood up.

"Uh-uh-uh…not all of them. Some prefer to go au natural, if you get what I'm saying."

"Are you trying to tell us that there are vegetarian vamps running around the world? What are they doing, sucking the juice out of carrots?" I had to laugh at that one, because I knew exactly what Emmett was referring to. There was a book series we read when we were younger called "Bunnicula", about a vampire rabbit that drained the juice out of vegetables. We read those things nearly every day when we lived in the group homes before Carlisle and Esme adopted us. It was a running joke between the two of us.

"No, they hunt animals. Animals blood is not as refreshing or satisfying to them as humans, but some vampires have morals and refuse to touch a human being."

"So there are big clans of animal drinking vampires?"

"Some of them that we've spoken to call their clans 'families'. They use that as cover for when they move into a town. Some cases have reported that even their 'children' apply and enter local schools."

"Going through high school once was enough, can you imagine doing that for the rest of your life?" I shuddered to think of the humiliation and such I received at my high school, but Emmett, as usual, had a huge shit-eating grin on his face.

"I'd go back in a heartbeat. Have you seen cheerleading outfits lately? Mmm, I'd probably join the squad if they let me…Ow!" Emmett rubbed his arm where Rosalie slapped him.

"…I was just kidding…Jeez, Rose…" He muttered under his breath.

"Can they turn into bats?" Masie asked, pointing to the Halloween decorations that had yet to be taken down.

"How did you know they turned into bats?" Victoria asked and Masie smiled.

"I watched a movie with Uncle Emmy and Jay-Jay. They told me to cover my eyes, but I watched anyways." Bella and I both looked at Jasper and Emmett and they stared back.

"It was the only decent show on the other night. We made sure she didn't watch the nasty stuff."

"Do they turn to bats?" Masie asked again. I could tell she was a little annoyed that no one had answered her question yet.

"No. But some do have magic powers." Victoria said, reaching out for Masie. She jumped off my lap and ran over to her, eager to hear what Victoria had to say.

"Really?"

"Yea. Some can read minds, see the future."

"Hmm…sounds like Edward and Alice." Jasper said quietly.

"Really? Daddy? You can read minds?" Masie turned to me, her face bright was excitement.

"No. Uncle Jas was just being funny. Emmett, if you want a beer so badly, go get it for yourself." I said without looking at my brother.

"I was just _thinking_ that! Are you sure about that whole not-being-able-to-read-minds thing, Eddie?" I punched him in the leg as he walked by and stood up, holding onto the arm of the couch for support.

"I think we've talked enough about vampires, don't you think? Pretty sure there are bigger things on our plates right now than vegetarian vampires." I gestured around the room and saw out of the corner of my eye a tiny black figure dart towards the kitchen. Hearing a quick intake of breath, I knew someone else had seen it as well. I looked at Bella and she nodded, then at Victoria, who was moving slowly to where EJ had run to.

"Hey Mom and Dad, would you take Masie out to the backyard for a bit?" Carlisle picked up Masie, slung her over his shoulder and exited the room, Esme following close behind.

"Come on Rose, I'll help you put the twins down for a nap." Alice picked up her son and Jasper helped carry Liam and Ada upstairs to the guest bedrooms. Soon enough, it was just Bella, James, Victoria and I in the living room.

Victoria stood in the middle of the living room, her eyes closed tightly, arms slightly outstretched.

"Do you see that often?" James asked, pointing to the corner where EJ had materialized.

"Almost every day. We also know what it is."

"Really?" James and Victoria asked in unison.

"It's our son EJ." Bella smiled and immediately the room filled with warm light and Victoria's hair billowed in a slight breeze. I snorted with amusement, as did Bella.

"I thought I had mentioned him before. I'm sorry I didn't get to you both sooner. And after all this stuff that's been going on the past few days, I'm lucky my head is attached. I'll let you both have free reign of my office, since I'm handing this part of the investigation off to you."

"What?" James, Victoria and I asked, in shock.

"I can't work cases I'm personally attached to. I trust you both and will help you every step of the way, but my family needs me right now." She reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing reassuringly.

"Are you sure?" I whispered, pulling her close.

"With all my heart. Masie needs me. You need me." Smiling, I bent down to kiss her. Knowing that she wasn't going to be working on the investigation made me wonder if I would soon get my old Bella back.

"Get out of here if you're going to do that," Victoria scoffed with a grin, and pushed us out of the living room. We ran into Ben and Angela as they finally came down from upstairs, and both were smiling like lunatics.

"Looks like someone else discovered Secret Sex," Bella whispered in my ear, an amused look on her face.

* * *

**Please, if not for the love of me, for the love of Ray J, LEAVE ME A REVIEW! (And if you can guess where that lyric came from, I'll give you a huge virtual hug).**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I have been working on this off and on for the past few months and I am working steadily on the next. I *hope* that you all are still with me. I am, for the record, NOT on strike or hiatus. I just suffer from serious writers' block and college.**

**P.S. Would you all be little darlings and submit a review, saying how you stumbled upon me and my stories? I'd appreciate it!!**

While James and Victoria situated themselves upstairs and Bella played outside with Masie, I made my way to the kitchen, where my brother and sister were helping my mom make dinner. Alice was perched on the counter, peeling carrots and Emmett was wielding a knife and doing work on a pile of potatoes. Esme stood by the stove, stirring a pot.

"Need any help?" I asked, reaching over and snagging a carrot from Alice's pile. She glared at me as I heartily bit into it. Esme spun around, her hand clutching at her chest.

"You know, when you were a child, I contemplated sewing bells to your clothes so I could hear you sneaking up. In fact, I do think I could use some help. Frost that cake over there, would you?" She pointed to a sheet cake that was cooling near the sink.

"What the hell, Mom? Edward just waltzes in here and _he_ gets to frost the cake? You dragged me in here against my will and I have to chop potatoes?! Where's the injustice in that?" Emmett waved the knife towards me and I edged backwards. Esme planted her hands on her hips and turned to Emmett.

"Emmett McCarty Cullen, don't you dare wave that knife at your brother like that. And I know for a fact that you would have ignored me if I had asked you to chop those potatoes up. Here you are, throwing a tantrum because you don't get to frost a simple cake? I thought I raised you better, Emmett." Thoroughly chastised, Emmett hung his head and reached for another potato.

"Sorry, Mom."

"Ahem?" Mom pointed at me and Emmett sighed.

"Sorry, Edward." He grumbled and narrowed his eyes when I stuck my finger in the frosting and flicked it at him.

"Mom!" Emmett whined, tossing his knife down on the counter.

"I don't know what to do with you boys. Alice, deal with your brothers. I need a drink." Esme left the room with a slight smile as I began to frost the cake. I finished with a slight flourish and licked the stray frosting that had gotten onto my hand. Emmett cursed under his breath and flipped me off.

"I'm going to forget that I saw that, but I wanted to ask you two something." Alice and Emmett both looked at me and I glanced out the kitchen window to check if Bella was still outside with Masie. I watched for a moment as Masie and Jasper wrestled playfully in the grass, while Bella and my father stood off to the side.

"What's up?" Alice asked, easing off the counter and onto the floor. I ran my hands nervously through my hair. I had thought of the different ways to ask and the reactions of my brother and sister. Taking a deep breath, I blurted it all out.

"I want to take Bella to Chicago and I want you both to come with me."

"Bro, I would…but with Rosie and the twins, I don't think I can." Emmett shrugged his shoulders and shook his head sadly.

"I'm asking Mom and Dad to watch Masie. It'll just be for the weekend. They love having the kids around; Mom'll be in heaven if all her grandkids got to stay with her. I'm thinking we'll go in a few weeks, enough time to ask off of work and get plane tickets." Emmett sighed, knowing it would be difficult to back out now.

"I'll talk with Rose tonight. I'm not making any promises, but for the moment, I'm thinking about it, okay?" He patted me on the arm and went back to cutting vegetables.

"Alice? What about you?" I knew that she would be the one I would have to persuade the most.

"No. Absolutely not." She crossed her arms across her tiny form, a sign of finality. But I knew better.

"Why not? It's your home, too."

"It's _not_ my home, Edward!" She slapped her hand on the counter, startling both Emmett and I.

"Ali, chill." Emmett murmured, trying to sooth her. Tears glinted in her eyes and she fought them back.

"Chicago is not and never will be my home. My home is with Esme and Carlisle, with Jasper and Jackson. You can't pay me enough to step foot in that…in that _place_. You both are crazy for even thinking about going there. Why do you want to remember that? The violence that occurred there?" She hissed while stomping her foot.

"Because it's more than that, Alice. We grew up there, where we learned to walk and talk. There was love, too. You focus too much on the negativity, and you forget where you came from. Chicago is as much of my home as is Esme and Carlisle's." Alice bit her lip and closed her eyes. She ran her shaky hands over her face and let out a long breath.

"I'll go on one condition and one condition only." I took a step forward and grabbed her hands.

"Lay it on me, sis."

"I call the shots. If I want to go, we go. No questions asked. I'm not going for myself; I'm not going for you or Emmett. I'm going for Bella and that's it. I'll arrange plane tickets, the hotel, whatever. But you have to remember who is in charge here, Edward."

"No problem." I saluted her and hugged her hard, knowing full well how difficult it was for her to do this.

* * *

Later at night, when Bella and I were getting ready for bed, I told her about my plans for our trip to Chicago. She climbed up in bed and sat at the foot of the mattress, staring at me.

"Do you think it's okay to do this now?" She grabbed a pillow and hugged it close. I shrugged my shoulders and yanked my shirt off, tossing it over by the closet. Bella sighed and I went over and picked it up, putting it directly into the hamper. I grinned and laid down in front of her.

"Why not? You've got time. James, Victoria, Angela and Ben can hold the fort down here for a few days." I played with her bare toes, distracting myself from the heavy weight that was forming in my stomach. I didn't want Bella to not agree to go, after what I had made Alice go through in the kitchen.

"What about Masie? I don't want her in the house, just in case."

"Esme is going to take care of her, along with the twins and Jackson." I moved on from her toes to her legs, stroking them lightly with the backs of my fingers. Bella stretched out and rested her legs in my lap.

"I guess it wouldn't be that bad. We all need a mini-vacation anyway." I pulled her towards me and kissed her, smiling against her lips.

"There's my girl." I murmured before my hands slipped under her sleep shirt.

**BPOV**

The following few days after I agreed to leave with Edward were, how can I say this, chaotic. Alice was planning the trip at our house, something Edward didn't quite understand. They butted heads over certain aspects, but Edward always bowed out first. Alice was also planning my wardrobe, something I've come used to with things of this nature. If she wasn't haggling deals with travel agents, she was at the mall, maxing out credit card after credit card.

I shadowed James and Victoria when I had the chance, helping them out with the menial tasks of changing tapes and going over weekly EVPs. We weren't finding much, but that was as expected. Jacob Black seemed to come and go at his own leisure, but E.J. was always around. We found him most active in Masie's room and I found that oddly comforting.

As the days grew closer to our departure, I started to worry about Masie. We had never left the city without her before, especially since Jacob Black started to reappear. I wasn't sure if he would follow her to Esme and Carlisle's, stay around the house and wait, or follow Edward and me. James and Victoria were assuring me on a daily basis that nothing like that would happen. I called Angela and Ben to make sure that they would monitor Esme and Carlisle's daily, and warned them about the possible consequences if he did move around.

"Bella, don't worry. He's most likely to throw a tantrum when he realizes everyone is gone, but will probably play tricks with us, since we're now his targets." James said to me one morning over coffee. Edward was out grocery shopping with Masie, so she could bring some of her favorite foods over to Edward's parents' house when we left. I sighed and ran my hands over my face.

"I'm trying not to worry, James. It's just that this is the first time we've left Masie behind and I want her to be safe." James laid a hand over mine and smiled.

"Masie is probably one of the most protected individual here. Who you need to worry about is yourself and making sure you have a great time on your vacation. You need one, Bella. You've worked yourself to the bone on this one."

"And Victoria is going to start the sessions with Masie when I get back? I don't want Masie to feel scared or anything her first time through. Edward and I want to be here." We had all talked about figuring out what abilities Masie had or if she just had an amazing imagination. Victoria was going to work one-on-one with Masie twice a week until they both felt comfortable with what was going on.

"Victoria is looking forward to those sessions. She finds Masie absolutely fascinating."

"Don't we all." I smiled and finished the rest of my coffee.

* * *

The day we were leaving, we all met at Carlisle and Esme's. The babies were being tucked away safely in the cribs Esme had set up in the guest bedrooms. As we waited for the others to come back downstairs, Masie clung to me desperately, her tears soaking through my shirt.

"I don't want you to go!" She wailed, burying her tiny face into my stomach.

"Mommy and Daddy have to go, sweetie. Besides, Pop is going to play all the games you want and you get to make cookies later with Nana." I brushed back the curls that were sticking to her damp cheeks. Her bright green eyes were full to the brim with tears and her tiny little mouth trembled. Holding back my own tears, I bent down and hugged her close, kissing her forehead.

"Be a good girl, Masie. We'll be back before you even know it." I picked her up and handed her off to Edward. I let out a shaky breath as I watched Masie lose her ever-loving mind, wrapping her arms and legs around her father in a death grip.

"Those two are going to have the hardest time. She is such a daddy's girl." Esme murmured from next to me. I smiled and laughed, wiping away my own tears.

"Tell me about it. Promise you'll call if there are any problems?"

"I promise. Have a fun time, Bella. You and Edward, of all people, deserve a little time away. We better break this up soon; you all have a flight to catch." Esme walked over to Edward and tugged gently on Masie. Edward placed one last kiss on her cheek and let go. Masie screamed and wailed, her little body fighting against the hold Esme had on her. I grabbed Edward's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He raised our hands to his lips and kissed my knuckles. I smiled and did the same back.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Emmett announced as he bounded down the stairs, a reluctant Rose trailed behind him. Alice and Jasper looked happy as clams as they made their way down to us. I touched Rose's shoulder and motioned towards where Masie was reduced to mere whimpers.

"I understand completely."

* * *

Carlisle dropped us off at the airport, helping us unload our suitcases from the back of Emmett's monstrous SUV.

"Have a safe trip, kids." Carlisle said as he started the vehicle up again. We all waved and entered the terminal.

* * *

I tried to sleep on the flight to Chicago, but couldn't get comfortable. Edward, who I thought was sleeping, stilled my jittering hand with his and sighed.

"There's already enough turbulence. No need to add more."

"Sorry. I can't get comfortable and planes make me nervous for some reason. Did I wake you up?"

"No. I was thinking of a new composition. Why don't you try to get some sleep? You didn't get much last night." He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me to him. I nestled my head under his chin and closed my eyes.

"Well, somebody wouldn't let me get any. What got into you? Not that I didn't mind it at all," Edward traced patterns on my arm and laughed.

"Sometimes you drive me crazy, Bella. I think you're going to love Chicago." He nuzzled the top of my head and sighed, his warm breath making me shiver. Before I could respond, a huge yawn overtook me and I felt Edward smile.

"You and Masie are so alike. Five seconds with me and you're out like a light." I breathed deeply and fell asleep.

* * *

"Bella, wake up. We just landed in Chicago. Love, we have to get off the plane." Edward shook me awake gently. Alice stopped in our row and pointed at me.

"What the hell happened to you? You look like you were flying on the wing of the plane."

"I was doing this thing called sleeping. Normal humans do it often. You should give it a shot." I grumbled as I sat up. Edward chuckled behind me and rubbed my back soothingly.

"Down, girl."

* * *

We got our bags and followed Emmett to the rental car kiosk. Alice had arranged that Emmett was getting the car, Edward was paying for meals and she was covering the hotel tab. I hung back by Edward as he called Carlisle to tell him that we landed.

"No, that's okay. Tell her that we'll call her before she goes to bed tonight. I will. Thanks for everything, Dad."

"How is she holding up?"

"Mom put her down for a nap about fifteen minutes ago, after making cookies with her. She's now spending some quality Grandma-babies time."

"Alright, folks. Let's get this show on the road. Got our keys. Let's go find our kick-ass ride." Emmett dangled keys from his finger and we left the kiosk. We followed him into the parking garage, where a lone gray mini-van was parked under the number designated on the keychain. Emmett inhaled sharply and grabbed the front of his jeans, groaning.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Rose asked, concerned.

"I just lost my balls. They were there one moment, the next…poof!" Emmett unlocked the van and started loading our luggage. I climbed into the backseat and moved over so Edward could climb in next to me. He slung his arm around my shoulders and a huge smile was pasted on his face.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because this is the first time we've been by ourselves since our honeymoon." He leaned over and nibbled on my ear lobe. I felt my face growing red and I put a hand on his chest.

"Edward, you know you're not alone in this car, right?" Alice asked from the seat in front of us.

"This car doesn't deserve any action. Save any vehicle nookie until we get to the hotel." Emmett warned from the drivers' seat. Edward backed away, but paused at my ear.

"I've got plans for you, love." I shivered involuntarily and Edward chuckled softly. As Emmett left the parking garage, Alice received a phone call. My mind was racing with the ideas Edward planted in my head when Alice growled loudly and shut her cell phone with a hard snap.

"That was the hotel. They had several water mains burst and they won't be able to fix the problem for a few days. That means the entire hotel is being shut down because they have no water. Where the hell are we supposed to stay now?"

"We could always spend the night at home and tomorrow find a new hotel. It's late, Ali, and all I want to do is eat, shower, and sleep. In that particular order." Rose said as she reached back to pat Alice's leg.

"But Edward put me in charge. He said I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to and I don't want to sleep here." Panic was evident in Alice's voice.

"Sorry, pixie, but we're here." Emmett said as he pulled into the driveway. A massive red brick mansion with wrought iron columns loomed ahead. The windows were dark, curtains pulled tightly shut. The lawn was well-manicured, from what I could see in the dimming light. Edward grabbed my hand and we exited the van.

"I have to hand it to him; he's kept the place looking good." Emmett commented, tossing the keys back and forth between his hands.

"Who is he talking about?" I leaned over to whisper to Edward. Edward smiled and pointed to the smaller house next door.

"That's Thompson's house. He's the groundskeeper and caretaker we hired a few years ago to make sure this doesn't crumble to the ground." Emmett unlocked the front door and hesitantly stepped inside. Edward's stride slowed down considerably and his grip on my hand tightened. Alice stopped next to Edward, her tiny frame trembling.

"Just go straight to the kitchen. You don't see…the room if you do." Edward's voice caught and he cleared it loudly.

"Right. Kitchen." Alice said determinedly with a quick nod of her head. With Jasper's supportive arm securely around her waist, Alice entered the house. Edward scrubbed his hands over his face and turned to me, a sad little excuse of a smile on his lips. I leaned forward and kissed his gently, my hands cupping his cheeks. His hands covered mine after a moment and I pulled back slightly.

"Time to go in, don't you think? Everyone is probably waiting for us." I rubbed my thumbs under his eyes and stepped back, leading him towards the house.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Didn't expect an update so fast, huh? Well, lucky for all of us, my classes were cancelled this week and I had an abundant amount of spare time, so I whipped up this puppy. It is by far the LONGEST chapter I have EVER written (on Microsoft Word, it's 8 pages...). You are welcome...**

Edward took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold into his childhood home. I was already inside, trying desperately not to gawk as I took in my surroundings. The hardwood gleamed in the brightly light foyer; the massive staircase reminded me of _Gone with the Wind_ and _Titanic_. I could hear the other's voices drifting down the hallway, but I waited for Edward. He stood perfectly still, his gaze directed into a dark room off the foyer. I nudged him and slipped my hand into his. He jerked in surprise and pulled me close.

"Let's go see what everyone is doing." He murmured in my hair. I nodded and rubbed his arms.

"You going to be okay? We're only here for a night. Don't stress yourself out, love. We'll eat some dinner and you can take me upstairs and have your way with me, no questions asked." His smile grew and his eyes gleamed deviously, exactly the reaction I was looking for.

"Really?" His hands slid down to my waist suggestively.

"Absolutely. Come on, I want to see the rest of the house." I spun around in his arms and hurried down the hallway, his laughter ringing in my ears. He directed me into the kitchen, where Emmett was standing in front of a fully-stocked refrigerator, with a puzzled look on his face. Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper were steadily demolishing a container of grapes and a bag of chips around the counter.

"Did you tell Thompson we were coming this weekend, Edward?" He asked, scratching his head. Edward looked down at me and shrugged his shoulders.

"I can't recall the last time I've ever spoken to Thompson. Maybe he always keeps it stocked."

"All of this is fresh. I don't get it."

"Maybe Thompson wanted someone to stay here. This place has been abandoned for years, you know." Rosalie ventured, reaching around Emmett to snag a beer.

"Maybe. Anyway, I'm going to look around and hit the sheets. Rosie? Want to come with?"

"Don't say another word, baby. That sounds marvelous. See y'all in the morning!" Rosie called out as Emmett dragged her from the room.

"Jasper and I are going to the family room to watch some television. You want to join us?" Alice asked, yawning discreetly. Jasper scooped her up and hung her over his shoulder and grinned.

"We'll see you both in the morning. Have a good night, you two." Jasper said and left, leaving Edward and I alone.

"So about me taking you upstairs? Is that going to happen soon?" Edward mumbled against my neck, making me shiver again.

"Let me munch on something and we'll be on our way." I kissed the tip of his nose and nipped at his mouth. I was turning around when the doorbell rang. I glanced at Edward and the time, frowning.

"Somebody get that!" Emmett's voice rang down from the upstairs.

"Who would be stopping here at this hour? Get something for us to eat, Edward, and I'll go answer it." I searched for the light switch for the foyer as I went to the front door. I finally flicked the right switch as I opened the door.

"Oh! Hello. I wasn't expecting…I'm sorry for stopping over so late. It's just, this place has been empty for so long and I was just curious," A woman stood before me rambling. I held up a hand and leaned on the doorjamb.

"Whoa, slow down. First things first, who are you?" She cleared her throat daintily and held out a perfectly manicured hand.

"My name is Liz and I'm one of Thompson's friends." I shook her hand and looked her over. She was wearing jeans and a form-fitting emerald green long-sleeved shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, nearly the same color as the mahogany wood surrounding the door. She looked oddly familiar, but I couldn't at the moment put my finger on it.

"I'm Bella. I'm here with my husband and his family. They used to live here, when they were younger."  
"Oh, really? I live down the street, actually. I moved in a few years ago." She played with the strand of pearls around her neck and I checked over my shoulder, seeing Edward's approaching shadow.

"Well, Liz, it was nice meeting you, but it's late. Would it be all right if you stopped over tomorrow?" Liz bit her lip and fidgeted with her bangs.

"I'll try. I mean, I'm working all day long and I'm usually out like a light at this time, but today was my day off. What I guess I'm trying to say is, I just wanted to drop by to see who was living in the old Masen house. Have a good night, Bella." Liz waved and all but ran from the porch and down the driveway. I tried calling out to her, to ask her more, but Edward's hands wrapped around my arms and pulled me back into the house.

"Who was that?" He asked, leading me upstairs. I suddenly felt exhausted, my eyelids were drooping precariously.

"I'll explain in the morning. Take me to bed, Edward." I hooked my legs around his waist and buried my face in his neck. I was out before he even took another step.

* * *

When I woke up, it was still dark. I was looking for a clock when I heard a voice speak from behind me.

"_Bella._" I jumped, staring back into the darkness. I didn't remember being put into bed, so I was disoriented.

"Who said that? Emmett, if you think this is funny, it isn't. Knock it off."

"_Silly girl. How can you not know who it is?_" The room seemed to grow darker and my breathing sped up. I felt like throwing up when the realization hit me.

"Jacob. You followed us." A figure appeared just inches away from me and I bit back my scream of alarm.

"_Ahh, quite the observer you are, my dear. But there is a fault in your thinking. I didn't follow this-_" He gestured down at the bed, in Edward's direction. "_I followed _you."

"Why me? Haven't you done enough?" His eerie laughter filled the silent room. I hoped Edward would make some sort of noise or at least wake up, but he lay perfectly still on the mattress.

"_My dear, I haven't done _enough._ There is something about you that…interests me. What it would feel like to be inside that head of yours._" Gathering all the confidence I could find inside myself, I decided to confront Jacob. His days of terrorizing my family were coming to an end.

"You know what I've realized over the years what you are, Jacob? You're all talk, no action. You speak of the day you'll come back to ruin us all, to show us your real power. But from where I'm standing, you can't do a single thing."

"_Oh really? You underestimate me, Isabella._" In an instance, I was being choked. I tried to resist, but he was truly stronger than I had imagined. I could _feel_ him entering me, the icy feeling rushing through my veins. I thrashed around on the bed, unable to make a single sound.

"_Time to play, old friend. Ahh, I don't think so, dear. You'll be over there for the time being._" Thick chains wrapped around my body as I was thrown into a corner.

"Let me go! Don't you dare touch him! I will kill you if you do!" I fought against the chains, feeling them tearing at my skin.

"_Challenge accepted. Let's see what you can do, Isabella, if I do _this." His—my—arms shot out and my hands wrapped themselves around Edward's neck.

"No! Get your goddamn hands off of him! Jacob!" I shrieked as I watched my hands tighten around Edward's neck. He began to gasp and shift slowly on the bed. Edward's hands covered mine and weakly tried pulling them off.

"_Doesn't seem like you're doing anything here, Isabella. You were so threatening a minute ago, what happened? It would so simple just to squeeze harder…like this."_ My hands tightened even more around his neck and I closed my eyes to gather myself and I remembered what Edward had told me years ago, when he fought against Jacob. I began to hum the song I sang to Masie when she was a baby. Images of her and I playing in the snow, while Edward worked steadily on making the perfect snowman; then his reaction when Emmett ran through the yard and tackled it. I thought about the last time I made love to Edward, how his hands traveled all over my body and the marks I left on his skin.

"_Stop it._" Jacob hissed, his grip on Edward's neck loosening slightly.

"Never." I remembered the day Edward and I got married, how we both couldn't stop from smiling like idiots. The way he held me close as we danced on the Cullen's deck, under the moonlight and white tea lights Alice had strung in the trees. That was the first night I felt E.J. kick, the overwhelming feeling of love and amazement that flowed through me. The chains that were binding me fell away and I gained control of myself, enough to remove my hands from Edward's neck. He coughed and gagged,but never opened his eyes.

"_Enough!"_ Jacob roared furiously.

"Get out! You know you aren't going to win! Leave like the coward you are, Jacob Black."

"_You haven't seen the last of me, Isabella. I will be back and I will be stronger._" He left me abruptly and I shot up in bed, screaming. I looked around, down at myself. I wasn't crouching on the mattress; I was wrapped up in the comforter and sheets. Cold sweat trickled down my back, and my hands shook as I pushed my hair back off my clammy forehead. The bedroom door shot open and Emmett and Alice rushed towards me.

"Bella! We heard you screaming. What's wrong?" Alice asked frantically while Emmett turned on the lights. I tried speaking, but I was shaking so hard I couldn't move my mouth. My stomach began clenching sickeningly and I scrambled out of bed and into the hallway.

"Bathroom!" Alice ran up behind me and pushed me into the first door I came to. I hunched over the toilet and became violently sick. Alice rubbed my back soothingly, held my hair back as I continued to heave.

"Alice, I'm going to go find Edward. Bells, you okay in there?" Emmett knocked quietly on the bathroom door.

"She's fine, probably has a stomach bug. Right, Bella?" Alice handed me a cup of water, which I sipped on while flushing the toilet.

"Are you really okay? What happened?" Alice whispered, wetting a hand towel so I could wash my face. I shook my head because I had no idea what just took place.

"What do you mean she woke up screaming? Emmett, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! She's in the bathroom with Ali right now." The door opened and there Edward stood, the newspaper rolled up in his hands. I shot up from the floor and clung to Edward, who stumbled back a few steps. I began to sob uncontrollably as Edward slid down the wall to cradle me.

"You're okay, love. Quiet down now. Tell me what happened, Bella." I shifted in his lap so I was straddling him. I framed his face with my hands and blinked quickly to clear away the tears. But looking down at him and the image of my hands around his neck brought about another round of tears.

"I tried to kill you! Oh god, Edward! You just laid there while I did it!"

"What?! What are you talking about?" Edward asked, his hands covering mine. I shook my head and closed my eyes.

"Bella, what the hell are you saying? I think I would know if you tried to kill me."

"No! I had my hands around your neck and he was telling me how easy it would be to just squeeze harder…I stopped him just in time." I was speaking so fast that my words strung themselves together in an incoherent sentence. Edward gripped my shoulders tightly and shook me gently.

"Repeat what you said and slower this time." I did what he said and his eyes widened.

"Bella, that's impossible." I simply gaped at him.

"How is that impossible? I was there, you were there."

"No, I wasn't." I scrunched my face up in confusion. Suddenly, nothing was making any sense anymore. My tears lessened and I leaned back, trying to process what he was saying.

"You weren't there? But…but I saw you. I felt you." He ran his fingers steadily through my hair, untangling the knots that had formed while I slept.

"I couldn't sleep well, so I decided to wander around downstairs. I spent the night in the family room, watching television. Emmett can vouch for me, that's where he found me when you woke up." I peered over my shoulder at my brother-in-law, who shook his head adamantly. I frowned down at Edward, my mind still fuzzy from the suddenness of waking up and the jet lag that had yet to dissipate.

"So it was a dream? But it was so real. Jacob Black was in my head, Edward. I felt him in my veins. He put me in chains, just like you." Edward smoothed out the frown lines on my forehead and stilled his movements when I mentioned Jacob Black.

"Jacob Black? Is he here?" Edward struggled to sit up, but I held him down. He wasn't making anything clear for me.

"I don't know! That's what I'm trying to figure out!" I yelled, my frustration finally hitting its breaking point. I got to my feet and stomped into the bedroom and stopped in my tracks. Edward's side of the bed was perfectly made up, while my side looked as though a tiny tornado had made its way through the bed.

"You were right there and I was here when I heard him speaking to me. He said I was his newest challenge. Then a second later, I was in chains, and watching my hands wrap around your neck." I murmured, gesturing all the while to the bed. Edward sat down on the bed, looking considerably paler than a minute ago.

"That bastard went in you?" I nodded and knelt on the edge of the bed.

"I didn't know what was going on at first, but I remembered what you had told me a few years ago when he took you over. I thought about you and Masie and that seemed to do the trick. Do you think I should call Ben and Angela? They'll want to hear about this. James and Victoria would probably want it for the case and I--" Edward stopped my rambling with his mouth, his hands anchoring my head to his. I scooted closer and all but folded myself into him. He pulled away after one last chaste kiss and smiled my favorite crooked smile at me.

"You are the single most intriguing woman on the planet, you know that?" I leaned forward and kissed him again. I snickered at his expression when I broke the kiss after hearing his sister's throat clearing in the doorway.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting, but since everyone is up, we're making breakfast down in the kitchen." Alice said, tastefully looking away from us.

"We'll be down in a minute, Ali." Edward said, his hands roaming up and down my back. Alice left, shutting the door behind her. Edward pulled me down to lay flat on the bed and he propped himself up on his elbows to look down at me. Staring up at him, a piece of the Jacob Black puzzle seemed to fall into place.

"You know, after thinking about it, you didn't move at all. You were perfectly still. If it had actually happened, I think you would be struggling against me, right? I'll call Angela after breakfast, but I think I can reasonably decide that this was just one hell of a dream." Even though the word 'dream' didn't seem fitting to describe what had happened, it was the best I could think of at the moment.

"It would seem logical, yes. Let's get some food before Emmett inhales everything."

* * *

After breakfast was served, devoured, and put away, we all kind of went our separate ways; most went up to shower and get ready for the day. I decided to explore a bit through the house, now that it was light out. I went back to the foyer and felt an odd sensation coming from the room off to my right. I took a hesitant step in and inhaled sharply when a hand wrapped around my arm. I looked to see who it was and saw that it was Jasper.

"I probably shouldn't be scaring you, after what happened this morning." He smiled sheepishly and brushed back a stray curl that fell onto his forehead. I placed a hand over my racing heart and smiled back, blowing out a long breath.

"No, it's okay. I didn't realize you were following me." The room seemed to crackle with an undercurrent of energy, something that made my hair stand on end.

"You feel that too?" Jasper breathed, holding his hand out into the room. I held mine out and felt as though I was at a science museum, playing with one of those static electricity balls that made your hair stick out in crazy directions.

"Yea. I wish I had brought some of my equipment along. This is the room, isn't it?" I whispered, taking a full step into the room. Jasper moved behind me and followed me, our muted footsteps on the pristine carpet made the room even more charged. Just to check, I stopped moving and touched Jasper's bare arm, watching as an electric spark traveled from my finger to his arm.

"Ow. Necessary?" He grinned, rubbing his arm.

"Just doing an experiment. I can honestly say that I've never been in an environment like this before. I'm surprised you can feel this." I noted as Jasper turned to face me.

"Alice never told you? I'm an empath." I broke out into laughter, because it just seemed to _fit_ with the Cullens.

"It may have come up once or twice. Doesn't Alice have visions or something?" Jasper shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

"The doctors, along with Carlisle, think she developed it as a form of post-traumatic stress after their parents were…" He looked around the room pointedly and I touched his arm, this time in a soothing gesture.

"It's possible. Esme once mentioned that Edward has a way of knowing what someone is thinking before they even say a thing. I'm not surprised at all. Although, he never quite gets me right." I checked behind me and saw incoming shadows. Jasper turned as well and Alice and Emmett appeared on the step in the foyer. Alice's face transformed from a peaceful smile to one of pure anger and fear.

"What do you think you two are doing in here?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but hit us with the impact of a scream. The energy in the room disappeared, leaving Jasper and I slightly on edge. I had never seen Alice like this before and knew I had to tread lightly.

"I was exploring the house. I was just leaving." Alice held up a hand to me and her burning gaze landed on Jasper. I saw him open and close his mouth several times, like he was trying to find the words but nothing came out.

"I can't believe you, after I told you everything!" She hissed and turned abruptly on her heel, storming down the hall. Jasper reached out, but Emmett shook his head sharply.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I know no one has ever told you, but you are standing where I found them. Bella is where Mom was and Jazz, you're where Dad was." He closed his eyes and backed away, leaving Jasper and I alone to our thoughts. I looked down at the carpet and noticed that the spot where we stood was slightly darker than the rest. I sighed, realizing the enormous mistake we had made with our loved ones.

"I'd give a million dollars to have your talent," Jasper whispered, his voice saddened.

"What?" My mind wasn't connecting with what was going around me.

"Edward can't read your mind." His eyes slid to where the final Cullen sibling was standing, his eyes wide in shock and disapproval.

"Thought I'd find you in here, but I'm surprised by you, Jasper." He gestured for Jasper to leave, but didn't look at me. Jasper touched my arm as he left and I let out a shuddering breath.

"Edward, I'm sorry. The room, it…called to me. I have no way to explain it. I know I shouldn't have come in here without telling anyone," I shrugged my shoulders, unable to think of anything this else to say.

"I'm going to forget that I ever found you in here. I'm also mad at myself because I forgot to tell you last night that we all decided to make this off-limits. To anyone. I'll be in the kitchen." Groaning, I tugged on my hair and went upstairs to shower. So far, Chicago was _not_ the place for me.

* * *

After my shower, I went downstairs and found Alice sitting alone in the family room, photo albums were stacked on the coffee table. She stared at the pile, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"Alice?" I asked quietly, standing in the doorway. I didn't want to come in unannounced or unwelcomed. Her gaze traveled from the albums to me and it hardened.

"Yes? Can I help you with something?" I knew that tone of voice; I used it often with Edward, when he royally pissed me off. I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting back the sarcastic tone that threatened to come out. I took a deep breath and stepped forward. I nervously began picking at the bottom of my shirt, trying to find the will to look my best friend in the eye.

"I know I made a mistake earlier. I should've known better, knowing your background. I was acting like an investigator and not like a friend. I am also sorry I got Jasper in trouble with you all. As a paranormal investigator, you try to have someone else validate your claims and Jasper was in the wrong place at the wrong time." I sighed internally, sounded evermore the professional instead of the friend I was trying to be.

"First of all, don't defend Jasper. He is responsible for apologizing to me, not you. And second of all, if you keep playing with your shirt, you'll stretch out the hem and ruin it." Her voice softened at the end and I knew I forgiven. _One Cullen down, two to go._

"I think Emmett and Edward are in the kitchen. Go find them and tell them Rose and I found some photo albums. I want to look through the photos with them." I turned to leave and looked back at my friend.

"Where has Rose been all morning? She hardly ate at breakfast and I haven't seen her since." A conspiratorial smile appeared on her face and she motioned quickly for me to come near. I crouched down next to her on the couch and her excited whisper had me smiling.

"You didn't hear this from me, got it? Rose has been upstairs, yakking her guts up. She and Emmett got the green light from the doctor a few weeks ago and you know how my brother is," She made a crude gesture with her hands and hips and I laughed loudly, quickly shushing myself.

"Well, Rose has been feeling horrible the past few mornings and she told me last night on the plane that she thinks she might be pregnant." I gasped in surprise and hugged Alice hard, her arms coming around me as well.

"That's amazing! I'm so happy for them!" I squealed in a whisper. Alice nodded and continued on.

"But the problem is, she and Emmett were going to wait until the twins were a little older, potty-trained and everything. If she really is pregnant, she'll have three kids under two in diapers." I grimaced, as did Alice. We both knew it was tough with only one in diapers, but three?

"They always said they wanted a big family. I'm sure I could hire out Masie during the summer to go over and help. She adores those babies." I smiled as my heart tightened in my chest. I had forgotten to call Masie last night before she went to bed. I closed my eyes, frowning.

"What's up?" Alice asked, nudging me.

"I forgot to call Masie before she went to bed. I promised her I would." Alice rubbed my back, similar in the fashion of what she did this morning after I woke from my dream.

"Phone is in the kitchen, along with my brothers." She gently prodded me and I got up off the couch. I passed Jasper in the hallway and I grabbed his arm. I hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.

"Sorry about getting you in trouble, Jasper." He squeezed me back and continued walking; a small smile graced his features.

"Is it wrong that I feel like I'm heading to the principal's office?"

"Not at all. I hope you make it out alive." I grinned back and continued to the kitchen. Edward and Emmett sat at the counter, both holding cups of coffee but not drinking from them. I tapped Emmett on the shoulder and he spun around on his chair. I smoothed back his hair and kissed him lightly on the forehead. I placed a hand on his cheek and smiled sadly at him.

"I am so sorry, Emmett, that I went in there. I had no idea I wasn't allowed to go in there. I can't even begin to imagine what that must've felt like to see me and Jasper in there. I can promise you it won't happen again." He took my hand and brought the back of it to his lips. He smiled slightly, his eyes bright.

"Thanks, Jingle-Bells." I snorted at the nickname and ran my fingers through my hair.

"I'm also delivering a message from Alice as well. She wants me to tell you both that she and Rose found some photo albums and wants to look through them with you two. She's in the family room, but I'd give her a minute. Jasper's in there with her."

"Gotcha. Hey, speaking of Rosie, have you seen her? She disappeared after breakfast." Not knowing how much I could say without him getting suspicious, I shrugged my shoulders.

"I think I saw her going upstairs when I went up to shower. I could be wrong, though." Emmett nodded thoughtfully and took his coffee with him as he left the kitchen. _Two down, the final Cullen to go._ I wrapped my arms around him, placing them on his chest as I pressed myself against his back. I rested my forehead on the nape of his neck and sighed.

"I forgot to call Masie last night. Does that make me a horrible mother?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion. I didn't realize how much a simple phone call could affect me. I shifted so I could put my chin on the crook of his neck, my nose barely brushing his ear.

"I mean, I promised I would call her every night. This is the first time we've ever left her by herself and I forgot about her. How could I forget about my daughter?" My voice broke at the end and I held Edward closer. I felt one of his hands reach up and anchored itself in my hair. I let out a shaky breath, eyes filling quickly with tears.

"You're not a horrible mother, Bella." His voice was hoarse and quiet.

"Can you forgive me for this morning, Edward? I can handle being given the cold shoulder by your family, but I honestly don't think I could handle it from you. I know you wanted this trip to be special, but I've screwed it up already and we haven't even been here a day." I kissed the spot behind his ear that I knew he liked and felt him shiver beneath me. My mouth traveled down the column of his neck to his shoulder and he spun around suddenly in my arms, his mouth warm against mine. I moaned softly as his other hand found itself in my hair. I moved myself so I stood in between his legs and draped my arms behind his neck. His kissed the corner of my mouth and murmured against my skin.

"I could never stay mad at you, Bella. I love you too much to do that." I felt his lips on my cheeks, the tip of my nose, and on my eyelids. He stayed there and breathed in deeply.

"I knew that I would find you in a place you weren't supposed to be in. You're like a damn puppy. I was so exhausted last night that it completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry about that. But you're still not off the hook for not letting me have my way with you last night." I giggled and nipped playfully at his chin. I pulled away, arching a brow at him.

"Who said I wasn't going to let you have your way with me tonight?" He growled playfully as he covered my face and neck with kisses and bites.

"I'm surprised you don't have more kids since you seem to be humping like rabbits all the time. We're looking at photos, come on." Alice said, her tiny body bouncing. I untangled myself from Edward and dragged him to the family room. Rosalie was perched on the end of the couch, looking better than what she looked like at breakfast. Jasper was next to Alice, and they seemed to have worked things out. Emmett was sprawled on his stomach on the floor, flipping through baby pictures.

"You would've thought Mom was more modern than everyone else. Look at all these pictures of us naked on a furry rug." He mumbled, pointing to the obscene amount of naked baby photos. Edward sat down in front of the couch and tugged on my hand. I arranged myself comfortably on his lap and he grabbed the nearest photo album. As he opened it, I looked around at my family and pointed at Alice.

"Where did you get that necklace? Liz was wearing that exact one last night." Alice was fidgeting with the same strand of pearls Liz had draped around her neck.

"These? I've always had these. Grandma gave them to me on my eighteenth birthday." I frowned and looked down at the open photo album on my lap.

"What is she doing in every picture? She said she was a friend of Thompson's," I wondered out loud, pointing to a picture of Liz. Edward laughed and kissed my neck.

"She's in every picture because that's my mother."

"No, that's Liz. She lives down the street. She told me so herself." I said adamantly, pointing to the picture of just Liz.

"That's impossible, Bella. She's been gone for years."

"No, it's not. I saw her. She was at the front door last night. I spoke to her. She was wearing those pearls Alice has on right now." All eyes were on me when I realized what I was saying: I had spoken to my husband's mother's ghost.

* * *

**Bet you weren't expecting that one, were you? I have to say, the whole Jacob Black scene actually gave me the creeps when I was writing it. Granted, it was late at night and I was alone in a dark room, so anything in particular would've set off my "holy crap there's a dark shadow by me" alarm. So, loyal readers, did I give you the creeps? Let me know in a review.**

**P.S. Would you all do me a biggie and go read my new favorite person in the entire world's story? It's called "After the Last Goodbye" by PJ Austin. I love her and I have a distinct feeling she loves me right back. Because she suggested "Haunted" and "Inner Demons" in her lastest chapter to her readers.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Anybody miss me? Anybody? Yoo hoo...you still there? Raise your hand or something so I know you're there. Ah-hah! I knew I had to have _somebody_ that was still on board with me! Hello, faithful reader! I've brought you yet another installment of your favorite story! Enjoy!**

**EPOV**

I shook my head in disbelief. What Bella had just said made absolutely no sense to me. I glanced towards Emmett and Alice and they shared the same exact look: confusion and hurt.

"What are you trying to say, Bella?" _Because if this is all a big joke, I don't know what I'll do,_ I thought sadly in my head. Bella set her jaw and clenched her teeth.

"What I'm saying is that I spoke to your mother last night. And no, I'm not trying to be funny." Her face reddened and I squeezed her shoulder lovingly.

"It's just…a lot to take in at the moment." I said quietly. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face.

"We could argue that it was late at night, I was tired, and that the person who showed up at the door just happened to look like your mom wasn't your mom. But being the type of person I am, I have to question that. What if there was the slight chance that it _was_ your mother, and she came here for a reason." Bella whispered as her eyes opened slowly, a small frown forming on her forehead.

"She's got a point, bro." Emmett said, startling me. He gestured widely at the photo albums on the coffee table and then to all of us.

"What if Mom came here to check up on us? Like, we were supposed to come here and stay. How convenient that the hotel just so happened to bust a water main?" Emmett shrugged, taking a swig from his beer bottle.

"I never thought I'd be saying this but I'm with Emmett on this one. I used to be a skeptic before I called Bella years ago. But now I can't go throughout my entire day without thinking if something that happened was a coincidence or something I can't explain. We had to come here for a reason, Edward. We had to." Alice said, her voice growing more passionate as she went on.

"I'm not saying that I don't believe everything Bella's saying. I believe every word. It's just not processing correctly in my mind. She arrived less than an hour after we all got here. It was almost like she was…waiting for us." The room was silent as the weight of what was happening came crashing down upon us. Bella broke that silence by jumping up from my lap and fishing her vibrating cell phone from her pocket. Breathless, she answered.

"Hi Esme." She ran her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes.

"It was fine, no delays. The hotel? No, we're not at the hotel. Sorry about not getting a hold of you earlier. The water main burst, so we're staying at the house. Hmm?" Bella bit her lip as she listened to Esme. I stood up and went over to her.

"I'll tell them that you said that. It's beautiful. Yea? Of course I have time to talk to her. I completely forgot to call before." My siblings all dispersed as Bella waited on the phone. Alice squeezed my hand as she walked past, Emmett bumped into me roughly. Bella absently played with the zipper on my pocket, her eyes were glazed over and slightly unfocused. But they suddenly filled with tears as a new voice came on the phone.

"Hey baby! I'm so sorry I didn't call last night, but I was so tired, Daddy had to carry me up to bed. Did you have a good night with Nana and Pops? You helped Nana with the babies? Yes, babies do that. A lot." She grinned suddenly and tugged me closer. She rested her forehead on my chest and I put my hand on her back, rubbing slowly.

"I'll have to get you something special while we're here for being so helpful with Nana and Pops. Yea, Daddy's right here. You want to say hi?" Bella nodded against my chest and handed me the phone.

"Hi Daddy!" Masie's shrill voice squeaked over the phone. An involuntary smile crept onto my face.

"How's my girl? Are you having fun?"

"Nana and I made pancakes this morning, and later, Pops is going to take me to the beach! Pops said the water is cold, so I can't go swimming, but Nana said I could still wear my swimsuit. And after, we're getting ice cream!"

"It sounds like you're having a good time, Masie."

"I am. When are you and Momma coming home? I miss you."

"Not for a few days, love. Momma and I miss you too. Do you want to talk to Momma some more?"

"Yea! I have something to tell her! It's really important!" I kissed the top of Bella's head and sighed.

"Well, I'll talk to you tonight before you go to bed. I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Daddy. Now let me talk to Momma!" I laughed, imagining Masie's face as she clutched the phone to her ear. I handed the phone back and ushered Bella back over to the sofa. She crawled into my lap, her warm body easing my nerves.

"What's up, Z?" I traced designs on Bella's leg as I tried to listen in on the conversation.

"Who did you talk to? Where Nana and Pops there? Slow down, baby, you're talking fast." Bella sat up straighter, her eyes scanning the room around her, but they never landed on me.

"No Masie, I'm not upset or mad at you. Listen to me, okay? I'm going to call Ben and Angie to come talk to you, and you have to promise me to tell them exactly what you told me. They might go to the beach with you and Pops if you ask them nicely. Speaking of Pops, can you put him or Nana on the phone, please? I love you, Masie. You're a brave girl. Bye baby." Bella grabbed my hand and laced her fingers through mine. I reached up to stroke her hair and to turn her towards me so I could see her face. She shook her head slightly, knowing my intentions.

"Carlisle, hi. I'm sorry about all this, but I need Ben and Angela to make a surprise visit over to your house. No, nothing's wrong. Masie…she, uh, had an experience and since I'm not there, Ben and Angela are the next best thing. She'll be fine, there's no need to worry about her. We're having a great time out here. I don't know what we're doing today, but I can see the allure of a city in the Midwest. I'll call later tonight to see how everything went. Bye, Carlisle." She hung up and before I could say anything, was dialing what I assumed was Angela's cell phone.

"Hey Ang. What are you and Ben up to today? How much evidence have James and Victoria collected? Are you guys at least getting some time to sleep? Yea, I'll talk to them about it when I call. Ang, I have a huge favor to ask you. Could you and Ben run over to Carlisle and Esme's place and talk with Masie? She knows you're coming and I've given her directions to tell you everything she told me. It's nothing too shocking, but I'd like you both to document it for my records. You're a lifesaver, Angela, I mean it. Call me when you leave." With a long sigh that I recognized, Bella slid the phone back in her pocket and leaned heavily against me.

"Bella?" I whispered in her ear, my arms wrapping around her waist. She didn't respond, so I nudged her.

"Bella. What's going on? Don't leave me in the dark on this one, not when it has to deal with Masie. Damn it, Bella." I felt her place several kisses up and down my neck, her face nuzzling into the crook of my shoulder.

"Masie seems to think —insists, actually— that she spoke with your mom and dad last night." I froze, inhaling sharply. Bella pulled back to look at me and instantly her hands were on my face, stroking soothingly.

"It's nothing bad, Edward! She said that they were really nice and that they played with her for awhile before Esme came in to put her to bed." I couldn't process any of what she was saying because I continued to picture Jacob Black, his dark eyes and chilling voice, in my daughter's room. I had the sudden urge to go home, to take Masie in my arms and make sure she never saw the darkness that lurked in the world. I wished everything had stopped with me and now I felt sick that my own daughter, someone who I'd easily give my own life up for, had to deal with this for what looked like the rest of her life. I looked aimlessly at Bella, noticed that she was speaking. I focused intently on her mouth, trying to figure out what she was saying.

"…unbelievable. I knew something was different about her and hopefully we can document this and use it later in the future. Edward? Edward, are you okay?" My entire body felt cold and Bella's voice echoed in my head. She looked away from me anxiously and I tried to concentrate on the words she was forming but all I heard was a low buzzing noise. Jasper and Emmett were the first to enter the room and Jasper knelt in front of me, next to Bella. His hands gripped my shoulders and shook me roughly, his brow frowning in concern. Suddenly I was shoved forward, my head between my knees. I heard myself take loud, shaky breaths. Everyone's voices came to me all at once and I concentrated solely on not throwing up on my shoes.

"You turned green for a second, bro. I had to do it," Emmett said, his hand tightening slightly on my neck. He helped me sit up straight and I rubbed my hand over the back of my mouth.

"Make him drink this." Alice said softly as she handed a glass of water to Bella. Bella was sitting on the coffee table in front of me, her brown eyes full of unease and love.

"I think he went into shock. Are you feeling better?" Jasper asked, nudging my knee. I blinked rapidly and tried to say that I was scared out of my fucking mind, but my mouth wasn't working. Bella noticed my faltering and turned to Emmett, Jasper, and Alice.

"I'm going to take him upstairs to lie down. Come on, Edward." She stroked the side of my face gently as I stood and hooked her arm around my waist to keep me upright. I leaned heavily against her knowing she would support me. We took the stairs slowly and I was exhausted by the time we reached my room. I all but collapsed onto my bed, Bella not far behind me. She made sure the door was shut before climbing up next to me. I pulled her close, tucking myself around her. It seemed as though I couldn't get close enough to her, into her, but she kept holding me tight. Her voice was a mere whisper against my ear when I had finally settled on the bed.

"You want to tell me what happened down there?" I cleared my throat and inhaled her scent, which calmed my nerves.

"Panic attack." My voice was hoarse as I scanned through medical records in my head. Jasper wasn't far off in his diagnosis, granted he was a therapist and not a practicing doctor.

"Why did you have one of those? You _never_ have a panic attack." She backed away now, resting her head on her hand.

"I pictured Masie having tea with Jacob Black and me not being there to protect her and I panicked because I don't want her to go through what I went through-" Bella kissed me soundly, her hands threading themselves in my hair. My legs tangled with hers as I rolled her onto her back, pressing her down into the comforter. Her hands removed themselves from my hair and tenderly pulled back from me. We were both breathing heavily and I was starting to feel marginally better.

"I'm starting to sound like a broken record, Edward. What happened to you is never going to happen to Masie. I swear on my life that I will do whatever it takes to make you understand that and to make sure it doesn't happen to our daughter." I nodded and kissed her forehead.

"It's always on the back of my mind, Bella. I don't know if that feeling will ever go away. You sure she was fine when you spoke to her on the phone?"

"You heard her yourself! I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be able to distinguish a living person from a spirit if you asked her. Victoria is amazed by her talent and wants our permission to, when she's older, use her on easy cases. I've used a few on some of my earlier cases and their talents still amaze me."

"Bella," My stomach seized momentarily but she laughed and pushed me on my back. Her fingers played with my hair and jaw line.

"You're going to go gray early if you continue to worry this much. We'll be home in two days and I'll pick up some work with James and Victoria, since now we've made a connection. I knew it was a good idea to put that extra travel pack in my bag before we left," Bella thought out loud, her eyes darting to her open suitcase.

"What did you bring with you?" She blushed and ducked underneath me.

"I may or may not have brought some voice recorders, a video camera, and my electromagnetic field reader?"

"How am I not surprised?"

Bella and Jasper were hunkered in a corner of the kitchen, heads close. Bella was jotting notes quickly on a pad of paper she found and Jasper was scratching some on his own piece of paper. Alice and Emmett were mixing drinks behind me and Rosalie, who emerged from the upstairs a few minutes before Bella and I trudged back downstairs, was perched on the kitchen stool shoveling in a bowl of cereal Alice plopped down in front of her. I reached over her bowl and took a swig of her orange juice, taking note of the metallic-y aftertaste.

"Prenatal vitamins? Bella used to do the same thing because the pills were too big for her to swallow." Rosalie's chewing slowed and she slipped her spoon back into her bowl, pushing it back from her.

"You have to promise not to tell Emmett. I'm taking them as a precaution and I have a doctor's appointment in a few days." Rosalie whispered, stirring her now soggy cereal around.

"Boy Scouts' honor." I held up two fingers and grinned, mussing up her hair lovingly.

"I put up with you because I have to, you realize this." Rosalie groaned. I hugged her awkwardly from the side and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too, Rosie." I chuckled when she punched me lightly in the stomach. Emmett's huge arm came around me and instantly put me in a headlock. My hands came up to pull him off, but it was no use. I went limp, like I used to as a kid. And sometimes, I remembered fondly, I'd hold my breath and pass out, to freak out both Emmett and Esme.

"I saw you putting the moves on my lady, bro. Not cool." He squeezed once and let me go.

"Only because you have no moves, you chest-thumping Neanderthal." Alice piped up from beside me, eyeing Rosalie up suspiciously. Rosalie pointed to her empty juice glass and me and gave Alice a cheesy thumbs-up.

"Don't worry, babe. I enjoy my monkey man." Rosalie purred as she ran her finger across Emmett's chest.

"Maybe a little too much," Alice muttered under her breath. I snorted and let out a laugh that I tried to cover up with a cough, but I felt Rosalie shooting daggers from her eyes. Alice hooked her arm through mine and tugged.

"Enjoy your day. Let's see what our significant others are up to, shall we?" I bent down to Alice's petite height to whisper in her ear.

"You know?" Alice smiled and tapped her forehead.

"You forget about my talents, dear brother." I stopped dead in my tracks. I had completely forgotten about Alice's 'quirk'. Alice jerked forward, surprised by my sudden stillness.

"What? Why'd you stop walking?"

"How old were you when you found out you could…see the future?" Alice laughed, which made me smile.

"Seriously? It's gotten better over time, but I'd say right about Masie's age, I guess." I took that into consideration as I let her continue walking.

"Did you ever tell Esme or Carlisle about it?" Alice paused momentarily and squinted her eyes, like she was trying to see something in the distance and focus in on it.

"I think Carlisle knew something was up when I knew he had to go into the hospital before he'd get the call, or that he'd have to come home early because you and Emmett had tried killing yourselves out in the backyard and needed to sew you back together. Esme was the one that really talked to me about it and helped me understand it when it got to be too much. Why are you suddenly interested in this? You never cared when we were younger."

"Masie can see spirits. She saw EJ and Jacob Black for years, and last night she saw Mom and Dad." Alice gasped and I nodded my head.

"Why didn't you tell me before? I never knew this!"

"I thought it was just her imagination acting up, but she drew a picture a few months ago that was spot on with what I had seen when…" I trailed off, hoping my sister was intuitive enough to understand where I was going with this.

"So when Bella called on James and Victoria for assistance, she had a plan in mind to ask Victoria to talk with Masie. She specializes in 'paranormal' children and she thinks that Masie is a medium. I only asked because I was curious if she's anything like you. She did predict when the twins were coming, at dinner." I remembered that night with startling clarity, noting now how calm and collect Masie had been when she told me that 'they were coming'. Alice made an interested humming noise as we turned back to the opposite of the kitchen, where Jasper and Bella were still whispering to each other.

"If you two run off together, I will find you and murder you with my bare hands. Just so you know." Alice sat gracefully down on the seat next to Jasper, who jerked back from Bella. I laughed quietly and kissed Bella's cheek.

"You both look too serious. We're on vacation, relax." I whispered in her ear, feeling her shiver under my hands that rested on her lap.

"Sorry about that. Jasper and I were just finishing up and about to go over by you. How are you feeling?" She pressed the back of her hand against my forehead, something I had seen her do numerous times with Masie when she wasn't feeling well.

"Perfectly fine. Would it be rude to ask what you two were talking about?" Bella glanced at Jasper, who nodded minutely.

"Not at all. Jasper and I were just discussing how one would go about conducting a séance."

"A séance? Why?" Alice and I both asked at the same time.

"We want to know why your parents have come back. There has to be something they need to tell us. And I have some of my equipment, Jasper's willing to test out his ability. We've got ample time and the perfect opportunity for it." Bella's eyes were light up with excitement, something I hadn't seen in awhile. She was in investigator mode and all but nothing would stop her from getting her way. Relenting under her obvious enthusiasm, I sighed.

"When were you thinking about doing this?"

"Tonight."

* * *

**Hello dears. I would love love LOVE if you would leave me a lovely review. Just so I know you're there.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, folks! I hope that you're all still here with me! I thought I would be able to work on this over the summer, and then summer disappeared. I thought I'd get to work on this during school, and...yea. Believe me, I am in NO WAY stopping these stories. I just haven't had any free time to work on them. **

**EPOV**

I followed Bella throughout the house as she gathered her equipment and set it up in strategic places. The one place I found most interesting was the camera she placed in our bedroom, facing the bed.

"Hmm, Bella...I didn't know you wanted to make a video…" I joked as I watched her position the focus of the camera. She turned towards me and rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for that, I'm sure Ben and Angela would love to hear that when they go through the evidence later." She pointed to the blinking red light that had been on the entire time I was in room.

"Why are you putting one in here anyway? I thought we were doing everything downstairs," Bella slid a digital voice recorder on the dresser across from the bed and turned off the lights.

"I wanted to hit every hotspot in the house. This just so happens to be one of them. I wouldn't have bothered with it if it wasn't for the Jacob Black experience in here. I can't rule that out as a nightmare without any proof that it might've been real." I nodded, realizing I was no longer dealing with Regular Bella, but with Paranormal Investigator Bella; everything had to be based in science, logic, and reasoning with provable results in Investigator Bella's world.

"Bella? Edward? We set up everything downstairs. Are you ready?" Alice's voice rang out in the stairwell. Bella held out her hand to me, the light from the hallway illuminating half of her face but I could see the smile on her lips was genuine. The nerves that were turning my stomach into knots dissipated as I slid my hand into hers.

"This is going to be fine, I promise." Bella kissed my cheek as we walked down the stairs together.

"I'm not worried at all. In fact, I've grown used to these kinds of shenanigans. You wouldn't be who you are if it wasn't for the occasional séance here or there." Bella laughed and I couldn't help but laughing with her.

"It's why you love me." She led me into the living room, where Emmett and Alice were huddled near the entrance. Emmett had his arm wrapped supportively around Alice's waist and she was biting her lip, a nervous habit I hadn't seen her do in years. Bella went over to Jasper, who was talking quietly to Rosalie.

"Ali, it's only for a few hours. You don't even have to say anything." I rubbed her arm, feeling the small trembles from her nerves.

"I don't want to do this either, Pixie. It was bad enough seeing them, but talking to them is a completely different ballgame that I don't know how to play." Emmett mumbled, pulling Alice closer. I knew that my siblings were going to go along with whatever Bella had in mind; they had trusted her judgment completely when she saved me. But I knew that this one was hitting too close to home, literally.

"Alright, let's get down to business, folks." Bella announced, clapping her hands together. We situated ourselves in a loose circle around Bella and Jasper, who were going to be sitting in the spots where our parents were found. Emmett reached over and turned off the lights, after Bella motioned to him. The room was shrouded in darkness and the tension emanating from my siblings escalated.

"This is Bella Cullen, initiating EVP session at Masen household in Chicago, Illinois. Others in the room include Edward Cullen, Alice and Jasper Whitlock, and Emmett and Rosalie Cullen. All are in a circle around both Jasper, who is an empath, and me. Jasper and I are sitting in the place that Emmett claims to have discovered the bodies of his deceased parents." Bella spoke directly and clearly into her digital recorder, also jotting down notes on the notebook she brought with her.

"_I'm not listening, I'm not listening_." Alice chanted quietly. I glanced over in her direction and saw her rocking. I held a finger up to my lips, telling her to be quiet. Alice stopped rocking for a moment and shrugged her shoulders.

"Jasper will alert me when he feels a change or a presence. I also have a K2 meter, which will light up if the energy changes in the room. I will use it to communicate with the spirits in the house. So, if everyone is ready, we can begin." A murmur of assent came from Emmett and Alice's direction.

"_I hope this doesn't take too long. I think I'm going to be sick soon._" Rosalie groaned, clutching her stomach. I wondered why Emmett didn't say anything, but thinking about his reaction to this, I guessed that he was a little too preoccupied to hear her.

"Elizabeth? Edward Sr.? Are you here? If you are, you don't have to be afraid to come out." Bella's tone of voice softened, quieted.

"I thought I might introduce myself formally. I'm Bella, Edward's wife. I'm sorry I couldn't meet you in person. Well, I have with Elizabeth, but…anyway. From the stories I've heard, you two were wonderful individuals and loving parents. You have such a lovely house. The pictures of Edward as a baby are adorable. If you're here, can you please make your presence known? Make the lights flicker on my meter? Touch one of us?" Bella asked, gesturing around the room.

"_I'm going to lose it if something touches me. It was bad enough with Edward; I don't need Mom touching me._" Emmett hissed, the tension radiating off of him was palpable.

"_Enough is enough. I have got to get these guys under control. One order of extra-strength chill pill coming up._" A rush of calmness came over me and I looked over at Jasper curiously.

"Sorry, but everyone was a little too nervous and tense for me to handle. I had to calm the room down or I was going to go nuts." Jasper quickly explained with a sheepish grin. But it wasn't Jasper's ability that caught our attention. The curtains by the windows were billowing softly. Bella moved towards the window, but never really left her spot.

"Was that you, Elizabeth? I know that the window is closed so it's impossible for a breeze to get through. If it was you, do it again or do it bigger." The curtains flapped suddenly, as if a great wind was blowing through.

"_Holy shit. Get me out of here. I'm done._ _I should've put my foot down. I don't want to be here. Please, Jasper, tell her to stop._" Alice pleaded quite loudly and desperately. I watched as Jasper did nothing. Deciding he was concentrating on keeping everyone chill, I thought I would ignore it, like I did with Emmett. We had bigger things to deal with. At that moment, I could smell a familiar scent and suddenly saw images that I'd never seen before. They were of my mother, Elizabeth, but different. One was of her cuddling with me in Alice's room, something she'd never done with me, let alone in Alice's room. Another was of her driving me to school and I wasn't old enough to go to school when she died. But all the images had the same smell with them: my mother's perfume.

"Anybody else smell that? It smells like Mom." Emmett asked, nudging me.

"I haven't smelled that in years. It was my favorite smell in the entire world. I make her cuddle with me for hours, just so I could smell it." Alice murmured, letting her eyes drift close. I jerked in surprise, the image of Mom cuddling with me fresh in my mind.

"The car would smell like her on the way to school. I miss that." Emmett sighed wistfully. I grunted in agreement, but was inwardly shaken to my core. How was I seeing those images, when I know I wasn't there? A feeling like a loose embrace came over me and I stiffened.

"Bella," I croaked out, too shocked to say anymore. She spun from the window and was kneeling in front of me in less than a second. I felt my hair being ruffled, something only my mother did, and an overwhelming sense of love and longing.

"Elizabeth?" Bella whispered, reaching out to me. The embrace tightened and all I could do was nod, answering for whatever was holding me at that moment.

"…_Miss you…_" I could hear my mother's voice perfectly. All the air in my lungs exited in a loud rush and my hands trembled. I squeezed my eyes shut, suddenly trying to fight the urge to cry. Her voice was something I longed to hear for so long and now hear she was.

"She said she misses me." I choked out, the embrace tightening again gently. Someone grabbed my hand, but I didn't want to open my eyes to see who it was.

"How do you know she said that? It's absolutely quiet in here." Bella stated. I could hear her scribbling quickly in her notebook.

"I can hear her…in my head." I didn't expect the last part and apparently nobody else did either. Except for Bella. I felt her hands on my face, her thumbs stroking my cheeks softly.

"Edward, open your eyes. Look at me." I opened them slowly and saw that she was only a few inches away from me.

"When you heard her, did you see her or just hear words?"

"I heard her. She only said 'Miss you'. But I saw myself in her arms, and in the car, like what Alice and Emmett said before. When we smelled her perfume." Bella hummed and continued stroking my face.

"What else?" That took me off guard slightly and I frowned at her

"What do you mean, 'what else?'"

"Have you heard or seen anything else, not necessarily associated with your mom?" I glanced around the room, eyes narrowing at Rosalie. She was breathing deeply and steadily through her nose and her eyes were glassy.

"Rose is going to be sick in about thirty seconds. She said so herself when we got in the room." Her jaw dropped and quickly snapped it shut, gulping audibly.

"Edward, Rose hasn't said a single word since we got in here." Bella said quietly, her eyes glowing with something curious. I had completely forgotten about my mother's embrace around me until she squeezed tightly again. My eyes snapped shut and I could _see_ her talking to me in my head.

"_…Love you…Emmett…Alice…Masie…Always around…_" With each name, a picture flashed in my mind: Emmett with his arms around Rose, Alice laughing, Masie playing in her room. The last one startled me; I had forgotten what Masie had said on the phone, about seeing my mom and dad.

"She says that she loves you, Emmett and Alice. She also said she's always around. I saw you guys at home, in my head. She and Dad spend a lot of time around Masie, too." I knew I was rambling, but the information kept coming out.

"Edward," Bella urged, her hands framing the sides of my face. I sighed deeply, and opened my eyes.

"What?" I asked, confused by the look on her face. Bella was biting her bottom lip, a nervous habit I thought she had rid herself of a long time ago.

"This is going to sound utterly ridiculous to everyone in the room, especially you, but I think I just figured out where Masie got her abilities from." I perked up; surprised that Bella was bringing this up in the middle of an investigation.

"Where? How do you know? Did Victoria call you?"

"No. Edward, you're telepathic. You can read minds."

* * *

**I know, I know, I suck a big one for leaving a cliffy like that and having my wonderful reputation of having a difficult time updating will send you all into a tizzy. But, to vent your frustrations (or not, and leave some loving behind), you can write a review! Yay!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hi! I'm back! And this chapter is better than ever! To make you love me again, I made sure to include a lemon. You read that right; a lemon. Please enjoy this chapter that I've been working on for the past few months!**

**EPOV**

"No. Edward, you're telepathic. You can read minds." The air around me went still and the invisible pressure disappeared. I suddenly felt alone, even though the room was full of people I knew.

"That's…not what I was expecting to hear." I rasped out, my voice sounding alien to my own ears.

"What is with this family?" Emmett whispered, exasperated. I slid my eyes over towards him and narrowed them when he looked over at me. He threw his hands up and they landed in his lap with a muted thump.

"All I'm saying is that…we're not exactly _normal_, are we?" He ended with a sigh and began fiddling with a small rip in his jeans by his knee.

"No, we're not, Emmett. I like to think this family is unique." Bella said, now kneeling closer to me. Her hands left my face and grabbed my hands, gripping them tight in her own.

"Unique as in how? Full of crazy people?" Alice snorted maliciously; I knew she didn't mean what she said, but then again, I knew what she had endured when she was younger. I heard Bella bite back a groan and she breathed deeply through her nose, trying to calm herself.

"I'm ending this investigation right now. Someone hit the lights. Someone turn on the damn lights!" She growled, obviously reaching the end of her rope. The room was suddenly full of light and when my eyes adjusted, I saw that the person who turned them on was Rose. She was pale and a line of sweat was beading on her forehead.

"It's not that I don't want to stay…but I think I'm going to…" Rose slapped a hand over her mouth and raced out of the room.

"I should go see if she's okay," Emmett began to sit up but Bella pushed him right back down, hard. The look on his face would've made me crack up, but it wasn't the right situation.

"She's perfectly fine where she is. Jasper, please go check on Rose. I need to talk to all of you." Jasper nodded at Bella, squeezing Alice's shoulder as he left. Bella was pacing in front of us, her eyes closed and she was mumbling under her breath.

"Apparently you all don't see yourselves as clearly as the rest of us do." She stopped mid-stride and pointed at the three of us.

"What?" Emmett asked, slightly confused.

"Let me rephrase that; you don't see yourselves like I see you. I've done a lot work in the paranormal world; I've traveled to places people only dream of to investigate sightings and hauntings. Hell, I was even the keynote speaker at a damn convention a year or so before I met your family. But your family is the exact reason why I'm standing right here, right now.

I can honestly say that over my years as an investigator, I have been involved in possession cases exactly three times. The first two I was observing and not allowed to participate. The last one, we were all active participants in. But in the first possessions, that individual had no one. They all left them, in fear of being possessed themselves. It made it that much harder to fight whatever was in them because with no support, no family, what did they have to live for?" She turned to me, her eyes bright with emotion.

"When Angela called me one morning, sounding more excited than a kid on Christmas, she told me that she had found a 'ghost haven'. I didn't believe her and was actually debating on leaving the country for awhile to do some research for a book I was thinking about writing. She was persistent and soon enough, I was at the office, flipping through the email and pictures. This was, without a doubt, the single-most intriguing case I had ever been offered. I hadn't even finished reading the email when the phone rang. I answered and immediately the person on the other line begged for me to come, to help her brother. It was as though they knew I was thinking about taking the case and needed to put their personal input into my decision. That single phone call sealed the deal for me.

I packed my bags and drove to this quaint and tiny town. I found the house and knew that I wasn't going to have an easy time here. The man who answered the door led me into the living, where the owner of this house entire family sat. The woman who had contacted me introduced me to everyone and I felt as though I had known these people my entire life. The owner's brother damn near squeezed me to death in what I soon came to know as his signature hugs." Bella paused, smiling down at Emmett. He blinked rapidly for a moment and then laughed.

"Sorry about that. But you love my hugs, Bells."

"I never said I didn't. Shall I go on?" She waited for the three of us to silently encourage her to restart and folded her legs underneath herself as she sat down on the floor.

"When I asked where the owner was, his sister admitted to me that they had decided to go behind his back and contact me without his knowledge. I wasn't surprised by this at all; a lot of families do this for their loved ones, just not the ones I dealt with. But when the owner came home, I could tell at once that he was not happy that I was there. He was especially not pleased when I informed him that I would be living with him for the duration of my investigation."

"It wasn't that I was upset that you were going to be living with me; it was just that I was frustrated that no one told me what they were doing and terrified because I didn't want you to get hurt by whatever was in my house." I had figured out what story Bella was telling and decided to say my piece about certain parts of it. It was interesting to hear her version of the story, but I was wondering where she was going with it. I could tell that Emmett and Alice were wondering the same thing.

"Regardless of that fact, the owner and I became friends. We went through our fair share of scares during my stay at the house. It wasn't until a particularly terrifying moment in the shower and an extended stay at a hotel that I began to notice that the house wasn't my biggest problem in this case. It was the owner. I told his family about my suspicions, and when I thought they would call me crazy or tell me to leave, they banded together and asked me what they could do for him, for me. I had never seen such a strong bond before in my life and I knew that this case was going to be different. What I didn't know was that it was going to be life-changing.

You three have been through more than any other human being possibly has. At a young age, you had your parents taken away from you in a manner so horrible that most wouldn't be able to get over it. But you stuck together and took care of one another, when you thought you had no one else in the world. You were blessed with another set of parents, who love and adore you with such fervor that I can see it every time we're all together. And if that wasn't enough, your own brother was possessed by one of the darkest, evilest spirits I have ever encountered in my life. Your entire family came together and fought this as one solid unit. I was in utter awe and amazement when I saw that." Bella took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair, before speaking again.

"What I'm trying to say is, yes, our family is unique. And no, we're not quite that normal. Alice has the ability to see the future and just-so happened to marry an empath. But if it wasn't for her persistence and love for her older brother, I wouldn't be sitting here today. And even when you went behind Edward's back and did that, I can't thank you enough. Emmett, you have this natural ability to love everyone, despite the fact that you may have just met them and they're about to fight a demon inside your brother." Bella took a long, deep breath and turned to me. Emmett and Alice both just sat there, staring at Bella with indistinguishable expressions on their faces. Bella inched closer to me, taking both my hands into her lap when she reached a suitable stopping point. She fiddled with the end of my fingers, her thumbs rubbing soothingly up and down the length of my palms.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Edward, but I'm glad you had these problems. Thrilled, actually." I furrowed my forehead, trying to figure out what she was trying to say. She saw my expression and smoothed out the wrinkles on my forehead with her fingers. They lingered on my face, lightly tracing my jaw. They hooked under my chin and brought me eye-level to her.

"Without your troubles, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have met you, fallen madly in love, and married my best friend. We wouldn't have made two of the most beautiful children in the world together. I think somewhere, somehow you were given the short stick in life. If one problem wasn't enough, you're soon handed yet another larger one. But together, we have overcome some of the most difficult things parents and human beings can go through. My world was destroyed when we lost EJ, Edward. If it wasn't for you and your love for me, I'd be a completely different person. Now we are lucky enough to be parents to our beautiful daughter. A day doesn't go by where I don't count my blessings for both you and her." She brought my face towards her and lightly brushed her lips against mine. She pressed her forehead against mine before continuing.

"I knew you were going to have a difficult time adjusting to Masie's capabilities. Since that day years ago, I have tried to keep those things far away from you. Nothing is going to change the way I feel about Masie and nothing is going to change the way I feel about you. We can handle this, I know we can. I love you, Edward and for some unknown reason to me, you love me back. I think-" I crushed my lips to hers, silencing her diatribe. I pulled her into my lap, trying to envelope her into me.

"You talk too much. I understood what you were trying to say ages ago." I breathed against the skin of her neck as I broke the kiss.

"Oh. You should've said something then."

"You were on a roll, love. I couldn't stop you. Thank you, though. I think we all needed that." I inhaled her sweet smell deeply and leaned back. She had her arms wrapped loosely around my neck, her entire face a lovely shade of red. A throat clearing brought us out of our little daze. Emmett was unabashedly staring at us, while Alice was politely looking towards the windows.

"I understand what you're getting at, Bella, I do. It's just been a lot to process, you know? If none of this happened, who would entertain me on a daily basis by not being able to walk on a flat surface? Or bake me cookies? Speaking of which, my birthday is coming up and I was wondering if you could bake-"

"Em!" I laughed, knowing my brother's one-track mind. Alice was smiling shyly, but still staring out the window.

"Alice, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think I'm going to do any more poking and prodding around here for the rest of the weekend. You can take me shopping downtown tomorrow if you want. I'll do your bidding for the rest of the trip." That perked Alice right up. She turned around, her eyes shining with laughter and amusement.

"For the rest of the trip? You're sure about that?" I heard Bella swallow loudly and shook her head.

"Absolutely. And I promise I won't complain, either." Alice squealed and rushed towards Bella, knocking into us.

"Thank you! Oh Bella, you're the best sister-in-law of all time!" Alice's arms clamped around Bella's middle.

"Don't let Rose hear you say that." Bella laughed, hugging my sister back.

"Too late, ladies." Rose said as her and Jasper both entered back into the room. Rose was looking less green than before and Jasper had a supportive arm around her waist. He kept looking over at Emmett and shaking his head, holding back laughter.

"_You poor bastard_." Jasper thought and I let out a bark of laughter. He glanced towards me and realization hit him.

"I forget you can do that now. But it's true, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes it is."

The rest of the night was spent hanging out in the kitchen, watching Bella making dinner for all of us. Of course she refused any help, but a couple of suggestive bribes in her ear had me stirring the sauce and checking on the bread in the oven. Alice was feverishly planning the shopping spree to end all shopping sprees at the kitchen table, every once in a while she was asked Bella if she preferred one store over the other and when Bella didn't respond in a quick enough fashion, Alice determined that they would go to both, just in case. I could see the slightest bit of regret on Bella's face when Alice was planning their trip, but she put on a brave face for my sister and that made me love her even more.

"Thank you." I whispered in her ear as I wrapped my arms around her waist. I rested my chin on her shoulder and pressed my cheek against hers. I felt her small smile and kissed her cheek.

"It's nothing. Alice has been hinting at me for the past few weeks that I needed some new outfits and I surprisingly have never been to Chicago before, so it'll be interesting. You don't need to thank me Edward, I would've done it anyway."

"I know, but it's the little things you do for others that make me fall in love with you all over again. I don't know what I did to deserve such a beautiful person as yourself." She turned in my arms and I kissed her gently, my hands delving into her hair to bring her closer to me. I heard her tiny sigh and felt her hands sliding up and around my neck. We were locked in our own little world until my siblings broke into it.

"Why don't you do that to me more often?" Rose huffed and I heard Emmett's exclaim as Rose punched him in the shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about, woman. I rock your world every night and I don't hear you complain, but a single kiss in the kitchen gets you upset? Priorities, Rosie!" Bella laughed and untangled herself from me, albeit reluctantly. She slid onto a chair next to Alice and sighed.

"We're going to _all_ these stores? Will we have enough time?" She mumbled, paging through the notes and catalogues Alice had spread all over the table. With a tinkling laugh, my sister answered.

"Silly Bella. Of _course_ we'll go to all of them. You just have to trust me." She patted Bella's hand sweetly and continued to flip through catalogues.

I awoke alone the next morning, a note was left on my pillow. Scanning it quickly, I realized what time it was. Bella had been kidnapped by Alice for nearly four hours, while I was fast asleep. I felt bad, but then again, Bella had agreed to a shopping spree and was at Alice's mercy. I jumped into the shower to wake me up and padded barefoot down to the kitchen, where Jasper and Emmett were eating quietly.

"Wondering when you were going to grace us with your presence, little brother. The game's on in like twenty minutes." Emmett said with a mouthful of cereal, gesturing with his spoon towards the family room.

"Great. But I think I'm going to pass. I have some work to do and I want to check to see if the piano is still in tune. I promise I won't be too loud." I popped some bread into the toaster, mindlessly humming the melody of a song that had been floating around in my head. I decided it was time to revamp Masie's lullaby that I wrote for her when she was born. I smiled as the tempo picked up the pace and the higher notes were almost inquisitive in their nature, bouncing around the melody.

"You can play as loud as you want; Emmett installed surround sound the last time he and Rose were here on a visit." Jasper stated, stabbing the last bite of the waffle he found somewhere in the fridge.

"Hell yes I did. If we can't be at the game, the next best thing is pretending, right? Since Rose isn't around to hit me, I'm going to see if I can catch some shots of the cheerleaders." Emmett slid his bowl towards the sink and jogged out of the room, singing loudly and off-key the SportsCenter theme song.

"Are you glad we're leaving tomorrow?" Jasper asked, drinking slowly from his coffee cup. I snatched the toast as it was ejected from the toaster and took a large bite of a slice. I shrugged, turning to the fridge to get butter and jelly.

"I miss being here. For years I thought about moving out here, until Bella came into the picture. I would like to stay longer but I miss seeing Masie. What about you?" Jasper sat back in the barstool and sighed.

"It's been nice finally having some alone time with Alice. I can tell she's itching to get back to Jackson. We should've waited until he was a bit older to come out."

"We should come out for the holidays. Esme and Carlisle have been hinting at it for quite some time. I can't remember if they have ever been here or not. All I can remember of my last time here was packing to go the social services building and my grandparents just…throwing our clothes into the suitcases our parents used when they went on vacation. I was excited because I thought we were going to go on a trip as well and meet up with Mom and Dad somewhere. I don't ever remember coming back after that." I finished doctoring up my breakfast and stood against the counter, staring at nothing. The memories of being in this house were blurry and I hadn't really thought about them in years. The minute Carlisle and Esme showed up in our lives, everything changed and I tried to start over in my 'new life'.

"Ali has a hard time remembering living here, Edward. She was so young when it happened, and she doesn't really associate this with being her home. She barely remembers what your mother and father looked like without using a picture."

"Em and I wanted Alice to have a normal life. I think he still feels responsible for the two of us, to take care of us because for some time, he was the only one looking out for our well-being." I took a bite of my breakfast, no longer hungry. I ate out of precedence and slid my plate towards the sink.

"You know it's in Emmett's nature to be protective. I don't think he'll ever stop doing it. I can tell he's having a harder time than any of us because he's trying to make sure the two of you are okay and making sure that the rest of us aren't having any problems wither. He'll never admit it to anyone, but he loves taking care of us." Jasper lowered his voice towards the end, hoping Emmett wouldn't hear anything.

"Enough with the heart-to-heart in there, ladies. Kick-off is starting and I'm not watching this game alone."

Emmett, Jasper and I drank steadily throughout the day. I knew we were going to regret the early morning flight we had booked for the next day; but at the moment, it didn't even matter. One game progressed into the next and before I knew it, the front door flung open and the girls stumbled into the foyer. Well, one of them stumbled and nearly face-planted onto the hardwood, but caught herself on the banister of the stairs.

"What did you to do her?" I asked Alice, who was helping an obviously drunk Bella into the living room.

"This was entirely her doing. She said she wanted one drink to relax and this is what happened." Rose shut the door and shoved the rest of the bags that had been dragged in behind them into the foyer. Alice dumped Bella onto my lap and she instantly stuck her hands beneath my shirt. Alice shook her head and sat down next to Jasper. I removed, regretfully, her hands and put them in her lap.

"Bella, love, how many drinks did you have?" I asked her softly, placing her face between my hands so I could look into her eyes. She bit her lip in the most endearing way, then stuck her tongue out slightly as she calculated. She began playing with her fingers and then grinned hugely at me.

"Lots." I groaned and let my head fall back against the couch. She poked my shoulder and I glanced at her. Her grin didn't diminish as she began to tug at the front of her shirt, revealing the briefest glimpse of satin and lace. I choked out a surprised laugh and quickly covered her up.

"There's more where that came from," She whispered in my ear, causing me to stop breathing. She slowly licked the shell of my ear and I couldn't help but tremble.

"Holy shit you two, go somewhere else with that." Emmett grumbled. I gathered drunk Bella into my arms while simultaneously flipping my brother off.

"Like I haven't heard you and Rose going at like fucking rabbits all those times at Mom and Dad's. This is simply just some light-hearted revenge, big bro." I grinned devilishly and heard Bella cackle as I raced up the stairs, her warm body pressed tight against mine. I rushed into our room, kicking the door shut and unceremoniously depositing Bella onto the bed. I quick ran back to the door, making sure to lock it in case we got any unwanted visitors. Bella starting tugging at her clothes, but I slowly shook my head. I stilled her hands by grasping them between mine and slowly began kissing the tips of her slender fingers. Her eyes focused on our joined hands, her bottom lip caught by her front teeth.

"Did you buy that yourself or did Alice and Rose shove you into that?" I asked huskily, the tone of my voice surprising me. Bella shook herself out of her trance and stared up at me.

"This was my surprise for you. Do you like it?" She smiled cheekily, her legs swinging off the side of the bed.

"I'd like it a lot more if I could see it." I let go of her hands and crawled onto the bed, bringing her shirt up and over her head. My breath caught as I saw her "surprise". Groaning, I buried my face in the crook of her neck and began kissing every inch of skin I could get to. I felt her shiver underneath me and I made quick work of unbuttoning her pants. I kneeled on the bed, unabashedly staring down at her.

"Oh sweet lord, you're wearing garters." I had to close my eyes and regain my focus. Bella was wearing what only every single one of my fantasies about her wore: a midnight blue corset and garter set. I felt Bella's fingers dip under my shirt and slowly start running the backs of her fingers up and down my stomach. My muscles quivered in anticipation and I quickly stripped my shirt from my body, slid off the bed and fumbled with my own buttons on my jeans. I could feel Bella's gaze raking up and down my near-naked form. I realized in that moment it had been weeks since she and I had been together, the stress of Jacob Black returning and the sudden influx of guests staying in our house deterred us from more than a quick bout of "Secret Sex" in the shower before Masie woke up. The buttons released and I shoved my pants down to my ankles and ungracefully stepped out of them, still more than a little buzzed from the afternoon of drinking. Grinning, I hopped back up next to her and covered her warm body with mine, nuzzling the side of her face.

"You're driving me crazy wearing that, you realize." I growled in her ear, nipping at her earlobe before I pulled away. Bella broke out in a blush that traveled all the way down her body. I loved when that happened, because I knew I was the only person on the planet who got to experience it.

"Edward, please. I need you to touch me." She gasped quietly, her body squirming under mine. I reached for her hands and torturously slowly started to raise them above her head, securely pinning her under me.

"All in due time, Mrs. Cullen. Let me have my fun." I licked the dip of her collarbone and felt her shiver. My smile grew even wider as I began to relearn what made my wife squirm and squeal, pant and scream. I nipped and licked my way across her chest and turned my attentions to her corset. Being decidedly evil, I went slow as I trailed my fingers up and across her rib cage, delighting in every small quake of her body. I released each clasp and kissed the newly exposed skin until the corset hung limp on the bed. I scooped Bella up and brought her so we were sitting up in bed, her skin pressed hard against mine. I took her bottom lip between mine and slid my fingers up into her mass of waves that cascaded down her back. I heard and felt her moan against my lips. Eager for more, I delved deeper, tasting everything I loved about Bella and a tang of alcohol, which spurred me on. I laid us both back down on the bed and grabbed her hands, lacing her fingers with mine and bringing them back up above her head. Her hips began rubbing deliciously against mine and I couldn't hold back the deep groan that escaped from the back of my throat. I felt her tugging at her hands in my grasp and I let her go. They slid down the bed and pushed softly against my chest. Breathing heavily, I pulled away from her mouth, but just barely. We were breathing each other's air and I never felt closer to her in that moment.

"Edward," She said airily, her deep chocolate eyes searching mine. I licked at her top lip, enjoying the feel of her saying my name against my lips.

"Mmhm?" I murmured, my mouth ghosting across hers.

"Edward, I want –" I interrupted her with another kiss, only to be pushed back away again.

"What is it, love?" I pressed my forehead against hers.

"I want to make a baby with you." She let out a long exhale as she waited for me to respond. I knew that I was no longer dealing with drunk, horny Bella. I sat back on my haunches, breathing deeply through my nose.

"It was just that – I was thinking earlier and talking with Alice and Rose – and they brought up the idea of having another baby, because Rose thinks she might be pregnant again. I miss holding a sleeping baby and taking it upstairs and rocking it before putting it down in its crib. I miss the new baby smell. God, I even miss getting up at crazy hours for feedings or just simply holding them until they fall back asleep." Tears filled her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. I rubbed my thumb across the swell of her cheek and felt a pang in my chest.

"Bells, please don't cry. Give me a minute to get my thoughts together." I leaned forward and kissing her forehead, inhaling her sweet scent. I stretched out beside her and closed my eyes, throwing an arm across my face. I felt her curl up next to me, her warm little hand resting on top of my heart. I put my free hand on top of hers and started thinking.

There wasn't a time that I didn't love Bella being pregnant. I loved laying in bed for hours, my head resting on the gentle swell of her stomach and whispering my hopes and dreams to the little person growing inside of her. I loved how she seemed to be glowing at all times, a silly smile plastered permanently on her face when she rubbed her stomach. But then the dread began trickling down my spine. I loved everything about Bella being pregnant but I was fucking terrified when it came down to her giving birth. The first time with EJ damn near killed me, seeing in so much pain and not knowing how to make her feel better. Then the utter devastation when we found out that he was gone from us for forever. The glow I had seen for nearly nine months disappeared that exact moment she held him in her arms, her quiet cries and overwhelming sobs shook me to my core. I felt like I had failed as a parent, even though I knew that was completely out of my control.

The months of recovering and recuperating afterwards were difficult and I knew Bella wanted to try again. The morning she told me she was pregnant again filled me with mixed emotions. On one hand, I was ecstatic. On the other, all I could picture and feel was the pure panic of that horrible day come crashing down on me. This pregnancy had us more than a little paranoid. I'd be ready to drive Bella to the hospital at any minor pain or discomfort she felt, just to be playing on the safe side. When she went into labor, I almost lost my mind. It took me a minute to actually go into the delivery room, because it was the same room we had been in with EJ. I wondered if Bella noticed the familiar pictures and furniture placement. She did and reached out her hand to me, her brown eyes full of undiluted grief and a bit of sympathy. I knew both Bella and I were holding our breaths when Masie came into the world, both hoping and praying she was alright. The shrill noise of a baby's cry was the single greatest thing I had ever heard in my entire life. I held Bella as we both wept.

Shaking my head to clear those past thoughts, I lowered my arm to look over at Bella. She was curled up around me, tracing random patterns on my bare chest with the tip of her finger.

"What told you that now was the perfect time to try again?" I asked quietly, running my free hand through her hair soothingly.

"I guess since Rosalie had the twins. I had been meaning to bring it up earlier, but then everything got a little crazy for a bit and it never felt like the right time. Until now."

"Did you ask Masie about how she'd feel about a little brother or sister?"

"Edward, you know the answer to that one. She'd lose her mind. Masie loves playing with her baby cousins, loves helping Rose and Alice with them. She's getting old enough for a few responsibilities and could handle helping us out with a new baby." She shifted her body so she was laying on top of me, pressing her chin against my chest. I slung an arm around her waist and peered up at her.

"I told you before that I've always wanted a big family. Some of the first times I spent with you and your family made me jealous because I didn't have that growing up. Being an only child is kind of lonely, Edward. I know Masie will have an abundance of cousins and others who will love her and spend time with her, but that doesn't replace the longing for a sibling. I don't want her to get too old where she gets jealous of a new baby, so right now seems like the perfect time to try again." She whispered, lowering her eyes from mine. I smoothed out the worry lines on her forehead as I let out a long sigh.

"Bella, I'd love to make another baby with you. I could never deny you that, love." Bella's responding smile was breathtaking, so I pulled her mouth down to mine and kissed her with every ounce of love and passion I could muster up.

Later that night after we had made love, I laid between her legs with my head on her stomach. Her fingers slowly and lovingly threaded in and out of my hair and I had never felt more at peace in that moment. I kissed the spot right under Bella's bellybutton, where I hoped and prayed our child was beginning to grow. As I started to drift off to sleep, I couldn't help but acknowledge the little nagging problem in the back of my head. The events of the past few days filtered through my head and I had to choke down my surprised gasp. Bella's nightmare of Jacob Black possessing her, the revelation of Masie's encounter with my biological parents, and my sudden telepathic powers couldn't have been a coincidence. They all had to be linked for a reason. Nuzzling closer to Bella and protecting the possible life growing right below my head, I prayed like I never have in my life.

_Please, please let Jacob Black leave this baby alone. I'd give myself up to protect Bella, Masie, this possible baby. I can't let anything happen to them; it'd destroy me completely. _

Bella's fingers stilled in my hair as I finished my prayer and I knew she was asleep. I moved in bed, trying not to wake her up. I brought the blankets up and around us, and wrapped my arms protectively around Bella's waist. Pressing one last kiss to the side of her head, I closed my eyes and slipped off to sleep.

* * *

**Well, what did you think? Please leave me a review! Reviews make me write faster, seriously.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, everybody. I have a ton of excuses that none of you would likely believe or care to read, so I'm going to skip all that blah blah blah and let you read this chapter, hokay? Hokay.**

* * *

When I woke the next morning, I had never felt more rested in my entire life. A warm mass was curled up against my side and I smiled sleepily at Bella's unconscious form. Her legs were tangled in mine, one arm was slung across my chest and another was tucked under her head like a pillow. Her hair was a wicked mass of curls that covered most of her face, which was slack and unmoving. Wishing not to disturb her, I slowly and carefully brushed her hair off her forehead and kissed the top of head, breathing in her scent. A low and quiet moan rumbled in her chest and she pressed herself closer to me. My smile deepened and I shifted her ever-so slightly, so her left leg was now hooked over my hips. She nuzzled her face against my side and I ran a hand down her back, leaving it on the swell of her hips. My thumb rubbed small circles on her skin, dipping occasionally to brush against her stomach. She began to squirm a little and I knew she could feel what I was doing to her, but she refused to wake up. My other hand traced random designs on her back as the hand I had on her hip traveled up her bare torso and ghosted over her breasts. A breathy whimper escaped her now parted lips and I held back an amused snort. I felt her hips gentle rock against mine and my eyes rolled back into my head. Feeling slightly bolder, when my hand slid up her side, I simply cupped her breast and lowered my head, kissing the smooth skin above my hand.

"I know what you're doing and yea, it's working," Bella's sleepy voice whispered in my ear. I smiled against her skin and ran my nose up her chest, across her collarbone and jaw and rubbed it against hers.

"Good. Now pretend to be sleeping again. I wasn't done yet." I nipped at her chin lightly as I made my way back down to her chest.

"Oh, that's real sweet, Edward. Taking advantage of your sleeping wife. What if I wasn't in the mood to be your plaything?" She asked as her fingers found their way into my hair and anchored me in place against her breast.

"The noises you were making before you woke up didn't sound like you were in a bad mood at all," I murmured, licking my way across to her other breast.

"Lies. And what if those noises weren't for you?" Her foot slid up and down the back of my leg and it was driving me crazy. I picked her up and laid her on her back, wrapping her legs around my waist. I bit my lip as I felt her heels dig into my lower back.

"Then I'll have to kill the bastard who makes you do this," My free hand traveled down her front and cupped her, making her gasp in surprise and need.

"That's upsetting. The world is going to miss Brad Pitt. And David Beckham. Oh, and Robert Downey, Jr." She said breathlessly as her hands tugged at my hair desperately.

"Pity." I said before I crushed my mouth against hers. I nibbled her bottom lip, my tongue begging for entrance. She was being playful and kept denying me entrance. Knowing that two could play this game, I reached down and squeeze her breast roughly, grinning as she inhaled sharply. Kissing her deeply, I began to slowly grind myself against her and feeling her push up against me. Hearing her pant heavily, I eased back from her mouth, letting us both catch our breaths.

"You play dirty, Edward Cullen."

"And you like it."

"I'm definitely not complaining at the moment. Carry on with what you were doing." She said playfully, running her hands through my hair and down my neck. Her fingers caused goose bumps to erupt all over my skin and I shivered as they raked down my back and dug into my ass for a moment before starting their route over again.

"I can't think properly when you do that," I grumbled, sucking lightly on the skin of her collarbone.

"Exactly. Stop thinking, silly man." She let out a long sigh as I worked her neck over with open-mouthed kisses. About to respond, I lifted my head but was distracted by loud knocking coming from the bedroom door.

"Oh, for the love of God, it better be important." Bella groaned, tugging the bed sheets up around her. I frowned down at her and grabbed the comforter, wrapping it around my waist. I stumbled over it a few times as I walked to the door, frustration flooding my overheated system. Unlocking the door, I opened it and glared at Emmett.

"Am I interrupting some…sexy time?" He grinned devilishly and all I wanted to do was hit him.

"What do you want and make it quick."

"Did you and Bella forget that we're flying out in a few hours? Get your asses dressed and downstairs in fifteen minutes. If you're late by a second, I'm sending Alice up here." Emmett pointed to both Bella and I and I nodded curtly.

"We'll be ready. Keep the pixie away from this room if you want the ability to have any more children." I threatened him and hoped he got the message. He shrugged his shoulders and headed back down the stairs.

"I warned you." I slammed the door shut and locked it again. I turned around and saw that Bella was tugging on a pair of jeans. My jaw dropped in shock of her not being in bed.

"The knowledge Alice might kick down that door is a bit of a mood killer." I agreed with her silently, but stood still and watched her get dressed.

"Why are you not getting ready? We still need to pack." Bella said, tossing a shirt my way. I let it hit me and fall to the floor. She turned to face me and I simply dropped the comforter and sighed.

"I have a bit of a problem, you see…" I gestured downwards and smiled internally as I saw Bella's eyes darken with lust.

"Emmett did say fifteen minutes, right?" She bit her bottom lip and shifted from side to side.

"Yep."

"And you locked the door?" Her eyes flickered behind me and then back down to my obvious 'problem'.

"Double-checked it." I almost did a happy dance when Bella closed her eyes briefly and tugged the shirt she was wearing over her head.

"Being a few minutes late can't be that bad," She jumped into my arms and I stumbled backwards onto the bed.

"Not at all."

* * *

Twenty-five minutes later and ignoring the steady knocking on our bedroom door, Bella and I dragged ourselves into the kitchen, only to be met with angry glares from Emmett and Alice and knowing smirks from Rose and Jasper.

"Really? Morning sex was more important than getting to the airport early?" Alice ground out, quickly snatching the cup of coffee I was reaching for and dumping it down the sink.

"Yes." I stared at her the entire time I was pouring myself a new cup of coffee. Bella grabbed her arm and hastily whispered in her ear. Alice's glare softened and she let out a quiet 'oh!' when Bella took a step back and slipped in her hand in mine. I wagered a guess that Bella filled Alice in on our newest development for an excuse. Bella did the same with Rose, even though I'm pretty sure she had a clue. Emmett and Jasper both nudged me simultaneously, gesturing with their heads over at our wives, who were huddled around each other.

"Bella and I…we're trying for a baby." I said quietly, stirring my coffee slowly. Both nodded and leaned back against the counter.

"How do you feel about it?" Jasper asked. I shrugged and Emmett smacked the back of my head. Apparently that was not the answer he was looking for.

"I'm terrified. Down to the core. When she brought it up last night, I almost said no."

"Why?" It was Emmett this time and the tone of his voice was one I had only heard a few times in my life. Concern, confusion and love all mixed into one.

"All I could picture in my head was having to relive and rehash the pain I never want to feel again. Having Masie was a huge step for me and you both saw what I looked like at the hospital. The fear I had that night was indescribable." I took a sip of coffee, not tasting it at all. I felt myself getting sucked back into my memories and I pulled myself out of it.

"I understand you, Edward. I know how you feel." Jasper said as he fiddled around with his own coffee cup.

"Just because you're an empath doesn't grant you the right to say those things, Jasper. You have no idea what it's like." Anger started brewing deep down inside and I didn't want to fight with him at this point in time.

"Yes, I do. We never told you, but Alice miscarried several times before we had Jackson. So when I say I know how you feel, believe me, I do." Jasper muttered, setting his cup down on the counter before glancing longingly over at Alice. Emmett and I stared at each other and then shook our heads, stunned what we had heard.

"She's our sister! Why didn't you tell us?" Emmett hissed, his anger clearly showing.

"She's my wife. It was a matter between the two of us. Alice was the one who made the ultimate decision." Jasper put his coffee cup down harder than need be, a signal to the both of us that the conversation was over. Alice pranced her way over to us and slid her arms around Jasper's waist and nuzzled his chest. He visibly relaxed and stroked a hand down her back. Bella touched my arm and handed me her phone.

"Look at the picture your mom sent me." I held the phone close to my face and smiled at the small, pixilated image of my daughter sleeping in a heap of blankets and pillows by the big bay window of my parent's living room, where it overlooked the front of the house and the driveway.

"She insisted that she sleep there, just in case we came home early." Bella murmured, gently running a finger over the screen.

"I did the same thing when I was younger. I can remember waking up as my mom carried me upstairs to my room after falling asleep in the hallway. When I moved in with Carlisle and Esme, it took me over two months before I actually slept my new bed. I always found a new place in the house to fall asleep."

"Yea, you drove Carlisle and Esme crazy. The time you slept under his desk and he kicked you and you started screaming bloody murder had to be the funniest thing I've seen. Carlisle actually tipped over in his chair and started yelling right along with you." Emmett laughed from behind me. I let out a chuckle and handed the phone back to Bella.

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we? My daughter is expecting us soon."

* * *

Even with our bout of morning sex, we arrived to the airport earlier than usual. We sat around at our terminal, excited with the prospect of going home but not the long hours of flying we had ahead. Bella kept checking something in her carry-on and it was driving me crazy watching her constantly dig through her bag and be back in it five minutes later.

"What on earth could be in there that is so interesting?" I asked, twirling a ringlet of her hair around my middle finger. Bella let out a long breath and puffed the hair off her face.

"I'm just making sure everything is in there. They had to search my bags at security."

"Yea, why was that? I thought Alice was going to burst a vessel at the setback." Bella's cheeks burned brightly with a blush and she shifted nervously in her seat.

"I put the recorders in here so I could do some analysis on the plane."

"This couldn't wait until we got home? We're still on vacation, love." I was a little irked, but I could see the reasoning behind it. This was something she wanted to open and close quickly, and letting the others work on it would take too long. It wasn't even a true investigation, just a short session.

"Is this because you can't work on the one with James and Victoria? I thought you were okay with them doing this and you stepping back."

"I am okay with it. It's just…I'm bored. Usually I have something to listen to or watch to when I want to relax for a bit. It's hard to quit cold turkey like that." She ran a hand through her hair, a habit I noticed over the years that she picked up from me. It made me smile to know that we were rubbing off on each other, both physically and mentally.

"Now you have all the time in the world to spend with me and Masie. We can have nap time together," I said huskily in her ear, nipping quickly at her jaw before pressing a rough kiss under her ear.

"We have to think about putting Masie in school." Bella blurted out, obviously flustered about public affection at the airport and our surrounding family. I sat up a little straighter and I felt a frown start to form on my face.

"Really? I have completely forgot about that," I lied, knowing full well that I spent several nights alone on the computer, rating all the schools in the area and coming up with the final answer of never letting Masie step foot in any of those buildings.

"She's five, going on six. We could put her in kindergarten, but she might be too old already. I don't want her to be behind in school, being the oldest kid in the class. It's probably going to be hard enough for her with her abilities, let alone deal with that kind of pressure." The mentioning of Masie's abilities made me think that homeschooling was the best option for Masie. I wasn't going to allow any negative feelings to affect my daughter, especially from her peers.

"What are we going to do about that anyway? It's not something we can bring up at parent-teacher conferences and expect them to take us seriously." I wrung my hands together anxiously, just picturing the look on the teacher's face as we sat down and explained that our little five year-old daughter was able to predict the future and speak to spirits.

"I'll talk with Victoria about it. Edward, you do realize that kids at any age are mean. Hell, my timeouts were in jail cells when I was younger." I glanced at her, an odd expression on my face.

"Jail cells? You were _that_ bad?" I was pleased to know that even after all these years, Bella could still pull something out and surprise me with it.

"Did you forget my dad was a cop?" I shook my head, not remembering her mentioning anything like that.

"Well, he was chief of police and to prove a point when I was sent home from school, he locked me in a jail cell. That was after I had my mug shot taken, fingerprinted and had to give him a statement about what I did. You can relax now. My record after that is perfectly clean." I laughed, imagining a younger version of Bella sitting in between two huge thugs, just twiddling her thumbs and waiting for her dad to take her home.

"I take that back. My record here in the states is spotless. Internationally, not so much." A blush started to form and I was intrigued. I scooted closer and rested my chin in my open palms.

"Go on, I'm listening."

"Remember, this was years ago and should not reflect upon me now personally." She flicked the tip of my nose and grinned when I growled at her.

"Bella Cullen, I do believe you're stalling. Come on, it can't be that bad."

"Oh, public indecency is that bad. Especially in Dublin." I poked her side when she stopped talking, earning a loud squeak and a slap on the arm.

"I wasn't finished! I was in Ireland, investigating a claim of banshees in a nearby county. I was just out of college and excited to be wetting my feet in the world of paranormal research. Anyway, the whole banshee thing was disproved and to drink away my sorrows, James brought me to a pub and paid my tab—" I held my hand up to pause her.

"What was James doing with you in Ireland?" Bella's blush intensified and I knew I wasn't going to like what I heard next.

"I was kind of dating James at the time,"

"Kind of? How long were you two together? Were you ever planning on telling me?" Getting angry at her was unnecessary, but the thought of her dating James pissed me off.

"First of all, I was planning on telling you. I had planned on it being at home and not an airport terminal," She ground out, her own temper flaring.

"Secondly, James and I were friends _long_ before we started dating. He lived in my building my freshman year of college and we got to know each other then. We dated for a few years." My silence made her sigh and she shifted in her seat.

"We broke up two years before I met you. That was when I gave my blessing for Victoria to start seeing him and within a year, they were married. If it helps anything, he cheated on me with her for about six months before we mutually ended it." She said with an air of indifference and I bit back my grin. Then something clicked.

"EJ. You named him after both of us, didn't you?" I was hoping that the name James was a family thing that she wanted to carry on, not a college ex-boyfriend.

"He was a big part of my life and I can't deny that he helped me become the person I am today. James will never compare to you and my feelings for you eclipse the feelings I had for him. EJ was named after two men that I love dearly and who helped be become a better person." She cupped my face with her hands and placed a sweet kiss against my lips. I pretended to be angry with her, but when she smoothed out my frown with the pads of her thumbs and rested her forehead against mine, my resolve broke and I wrapped my arms around her.

"What invoked the public indecency?" I muttered as I buried my nose in her hair. I felt the vibration of her laughter before I heard it, making me smile.

"I may or may not have lost my shirt at some point in the night and paraded around the streets in only a lace bra. When in Ireland, do as the Irish do?" She giggled as I growled playfully when she swatted my roaming hands away from her chest.

"I am not getting yelled at for you groping me in public." She whispered, sliding her hand in with mine.

"I was not groping. _This_ is groping," I cupped her fully and heard her quiet moan. I kissed the back of her neck and squeezed my hand lightly, earning another moan, albeit this time quite louder than the first.

"For God's sake, really? In an airport? At least I have some form of restraint when it comes to manhandling my woman," Emmett remarked as he walked past us. Bella let out a surprised yelp and abruptly sat away from me in her seat.

"Really? Emmett's your new voice of reason? We need to start limiting our time with my family."

The flight seemed to take longer than ever and I grew more and more impatient every minute. Bella, who was nestled at my side, took my hands in hers and rubbed her thumb over the tops of my knuckles.

"As hard as you try, you can't will this plane to fly faster. I'm as anxious as you to get back to Masie, but you have to relax. You're making me tense sitting next to you." She mumbled as she tucked her head under my chin, ear pressed against my beating heart. I sighed and draped an arm across her back, enjoying her added warmth in the chilly cabin. Her hands released mine and they began to rub circles across my stomach. When they reached the bottom of my shirt, they snuck underneath and splayed out against my skin.

"Bella," I hissed in her ear, my eyes shooting around the section of the plane we were in, hoping that no one was watching. Everyone seemed to be dozing off, seeing as it was an early morning flight.

"What?" She asked innocently, her fingers trailing up my stomach to rest over my chest.

"If you haven't noticed, we're on a plane."

"Oh, I'm aware. I just don't care." I had to close my mouth to stifle the groan that threatened to emerge as I felt one of her hands slip down to fiddle with the front of my jeans. _How was I so lucky to find someone like her?_, I wondered to myself as the zipper slowly came undone. My eyes snapped shut on their own accord as her fingers grazed against me lightly.

"Someone is going to see," I groaned quietly, bringing my hand up from her back to play with her hair.

"Then they'll probably learn a thing or two, I guess." She grinned up at me wickedly as she began to stroke me leisurely. I had no idea what had gotten into her over the past few days, but I wasn't about to regret it. She shifted in her seat to angle herself more over me and I realized she was doing that to keep things out of view.

"Bella, seriously…" I lost whatever I had planned on saying when I felt her warm breath wash over me. My hands clenched and unclenched in her hair and my leg.

"Shut up." She whispered huskily. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood when her mouth descended. The sensation of her and the idea of possibly getting caught nearly made me lose it right then and there. It also didn't help that I could hear tiny moans and groans coming from Bella, noises that she knew drove me to the brink. I tore my eyes away from the glorious sight of her in my lap to glance around the quiet cabin. A stewardess was slowly approaching with a drink cart, about five rows ahead of us. I tried hissing out Bella's name, but I had to swallow a groan quickly. I could hear the clicking of the drink cart brakes getting closer. I tugged gently on Bella's hair, hoping she'd get an idea that I wanted to get her attention. That just earned me a fairly audible moan and my eyes rolled to the back of my head.

"Oh god, Bella…quick…" The stewardess was two rows away from us by this point. Bella increased her actions and I felt my legs because to tremble. I tensed in my seat when the stewardess reached Emmett and Rose, who were sitting in front of us.

"Bella, sit up." I whispered breathlessly, quickly flicking my eyes from her head to the stewardess. I was afraid that Bella hadn't heard me, but she was up in a flash and tossing the airplane customary blanket over both our laps as the stewardess parked her cart next to us. Bella tossed her hair back from her face and licked her lips, her left hand working furiously under the blanket.

"Anything for either of you?" The stewardess asked, glancing at us with a curious expression. I shook my head no, incapable of spoken word at this point in time. Bella smiled brightly and shook her head as well. The stewardess released the brakes and slowly moved the cart to where Jasper and Alice sat behind us. Bella moved closer to me and began to whisper in my ear the exact things she wanted to do me if we were alone. My eyes closed involuntarily as I felt my release near. Bella glanced around, making sure there were no other curious eyes looking at us, and descended once more. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried my best to keep quiet, but was quickly losing that battle. One soft groan from Bella was all it took as my release hit me with the same impact a freight train would. My hand flexed against my leg and I clamped my other hand harder to my mouth. Bella slowly sat back up, a smirk gracing her face. She wiped the sides of her mouth delicately with a finger and snuggled against my chest.

"Relaxed yet?" She giggled, tracing random patterns against my leg. All I could was kiss the top of her head and let out a long sigh.

* * *

I don't remember actually falling asleep, but I came to as Bella gently shook me.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. We just landed in Seattle." She placed a kiss on my cheek and stood up, stretching gracefully as one could in a plane cabin. She bent down, placing the black bag that held her audio recorders and video tapes into her carry-on, silently answering my question of what she had done while I slept.

"Find anything interesting?" I asked, pointing to her bag. She answered with a shrug and looked at me pointedly.

"Nothing that can't wait until we're home." _So she _did_ find something_, I thought to myself as I maneuvered my way out of the seat. Bella reached for my hand and held it loosely behind her as we slowly exited the plane. I awkwardly waved a good-bye to the stewardess, who directed a knowing glance in my direction. _Oops._

Our bags were already waiting for us in a great big pile, all thanks to Carlisle, who stood by the baggage terminal.

"Enjoy your trip?" He asked, greeting each one of us with a smile.

"It was…interesting to say the least." Alice piped up from next to me, her eyes locking with Bella's.

"Some of us even enjoyed the flight back as well," Emmett said, slapping me on the back playfully. I felt myself drain of color as Emmett winked and made an extremely suggestive move with his hands. My father cleared his throat and clapped his hands together.

"Alright then, shall we load up the car and head home?" I caught Carlisle's grin before it disappeared and knew I was going to get it later from everyone, once Emmett relayed the story back to the others.

We pulled up the long driveway that lead to my parent's house and I wasn't surprised at all to find my mother and Masie standing outside. Masie was visibly excited, as evident of my mother holding onto the back of her shirt with an iron grip, to ensure that Masie wouldn't run to the car before it stopped moving. I couldn't help but smile at the scene. Masie started squealing the minute Carlisle put the car into park and I opened up the back door. My mother let go of her shirt and in a flash, Masie had hurled herself into my arms.

"What took you so long?" She asked accusingly, glaring at both Bella and me.

"Chicago is a long ways away from Forks, love." I said, smoothing back her riot of curls. Bella scooped Masie out of my arms and began twirling her around the driveway. My siblings had gone inside to collect their children and my parents had gone inside to help.

"Did you have a good time with Nana and Pops while we were gone?" Bella asked, kissing the tip of Masie's nose. Her nod was vigorous and brought yet another smile to my face. She launched into a detailed recap of the days she had spent here and I decided to pop inside the house to gather her luggage. As I made my way to the stairs, I could hear bits and pieces of a conversation being had in the living room.

"I told him specifically that I didn't want to bring up what happened in that house, Esme! And what happened? We had a séance! We spoke to our dead parents!" Alice's high-pitch voice was full of anger and hurt as she spilled her guts out to Esme.

"It sounds like it wasn't intentional, dear. You even said Jasper had felt something earlier. With Bella, things like that come with the territory. I can assure you that they didn't do it to upset you on purpose." Esme's soothing voice entered the conversation. Alice hummed in agreement.

"I just want to be done with it, Esme. I thought everything was over with Edward and it's obviously not. I'm tired of it all." Alice sighed shakily. The rest of their conversation was muted, but I stood on the stairs, confused and slightly hurt. I knew what my family had gone through half a decade ago, but I had no idea that it was still prevalent in their minds to this day. We rarely spoke of it afterwards.

"Edward?" Rose's voice broke my thoughts as she came down the stairs carrying the twins.

I hadn't noticed that Esme and Alice had left the living room and were standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Sorry, I just…" I shook my head absently and took the stairs two at a time until I reached the top, where I leaned against the wall and let out a long breath. Recouping, I opened the door to the guest bedroom, where Masie had stayed. Her bags were packed and neatly stacked by the bed, Esme's obvious doing. I picked them up with one hand and was reaching for Masie's pillow when I heard a soft cough behind me. I turned around and saw Esme standing in the doorway.

"I'm going to take a guess and say that you overheard some of that?" She shut the door part way and sat next to me on the bed. I put the bags down and sat as well.

"I did. I'm not going to make a big deal out of it, for everyone's sake. I understand that Alice had a difficult time being back there and it was inevitable something was going to happen. I thought we handled the situation as cautiously as we could. I'll make it up to her, I promise." Esme stroked my head lovingly, invoking memories of being soothed back to sleep countless of times after having nightmares or after a bad day at school.

"Always protecting everyone, you are. Still one of your most endearing qualities. Honestly, I can't tell you how many times I've had that same conversation with your sister, so don't take what she said too literally. Everything is still fresh to her and since she was so young when it happened, I don't think she quite understood what was going on. And when the…incident occurred with you, I think it just opened up a whole new chapter of problems with her." She continued to stroke my hair as she spoke, a small smile on her face.

"I'm not saying we should press the issue right this moment, but I think we as a family need to discuss quite a lot of things pertaining to before you came to us and what happened with you. It might bring some sense of closure to certain individuals." Her eyes flickered to mine and I saw a bit of sadness and apprehension in them, along with an outpouring of love.

"I was thinking of the same exact thing. Thank you, Mom, for everything. Really." I pulled her in for a hug and politely ignored, for her sake, the sniffle I heard come from her.

"So it wasn't that bad having Masie around for a couple days?" I asked, changing the subject. Esme laughed as she warmly kissed both of my cheeks and cupped the side of my face in her hand.

"Not at all. Your father and I discussed asking you and Bella if you'd like for her to spend the rest of the week with us, so you two could have some alone time together." I smiled, amused at the expression on my mother's face. She was trying hard to be casual about bringing the subject up, but I could tell she wished for even more time with her granddaughter.

"I'll talk to Bella the minute I see her. I can guarantee you that Masie would be thrilled to spend some more time here, but I think Bella and I had a rougher time being separated from her than she was from us." I said sheepishly. Esme laughed as she stood up, gathering Masie's pillow and several stuffed animals –some of which, I noticed, looked new – and went towards the door.

"I completely understand, Edward."

* * *

Masie and Bella were still outside when I found them and quickly loaded our stuff, along with Masie's, into our car that we had parked in the driveway. Bella was staring at her phone with a perplexed look while Masie played in the grass.

"What's up? Is it not turning on?" I asked, hugging her from behind. She shook her head and held it up to eye-level.

"Ben and Angela have called me over nine times each, and that was just this morning."

"Call them back. They wouldn't call so many times if something wasn't up." Bella pressed the speed-dial for Angela and waited for her to answer.

"Ang? What's going on?" I could hear Angela, but not clearly to decipher words.

"Whoa, slow down. Yes, we're back in Forks. No, we haven't left for home yet. No, I haven't heard from either James or Victoria this weekend. Angela! What is going on?" Bella asked, frustrated with her friend.

"I will call you the minute we get home, Angela, I promise. What? Fine. We'll leave now. Yes, I will. Angela, enough. Bye." She hung up with an exasperated huff and turned to face me.

"What was that all about?"

"Honestly, I have no idea, but it sounded like she was having a meltdown. We better head out before she comes and picks us up herself." Esme and Carlisle were standing expectantly by our car, obviously knowing that we were going to leave soon.

"Let me know if you want to take up our offer, Edward." Esme said, hugging me tightly.

"I will, don't worry Mom. Thanks for everything, Dad. I appreciate it." I hugged him as well, hoping at some point before they made it to the car, Esme explained some of our conversation to him.

"Not a problem, son. Drive home safe. Bella, have fun with your time off." He said with a wink. Bella laughed and kissed his cheek.

"That I will, Carlisle. We'll see you soon." Bella helped Masie get into her car seat and soon enough, we were on the ride home. Because I had missed the big recap, Masie decided it was the perfect opportunity to fill me in on the biggest events of her weekend.

"Daddy, Nana let me change a diaper! It was so cool and so gross! Jackson peed everywhere! Nana said that I didn't have to do anymore after that and I didn't."

"Nobody likes changing diapers, Masie. And if they say they do, then they've never changed a diaper in their life." Masie giggled loudly and began to sing along with the song playing on the radio. I reached over the center consol and slid my fingers into Bella's hand. We spent the rest of the ride home singing along to every song that came on the radio, even if we didn't know the words. Everything was back to normal again.

Until we reached our house. Bella let out a startled gasp and gripped my hand hard. I slammed on the brakes, too shocked to care or notice that I hadn't pulled into the driveway. And I wouldn't have been able to either. Masie quieted down in the backseat. Our happy little family bubble had been burst.

James and Victoria's car was missing from the driveway. Every window and door in our house was open, curtains fluttering with the breeze. I could see into the living room and saw that the sofa was overturned and that things were broken on the floor. Random articles from inside the house were strewn across the lawn haphazardly. And that wasn't even the most startling sight.

Written across the side of our house, in what looked like a mixture of blood and bile, was the phrase "Welcome Back."


End file.
